Comments on: Why your mixer matters http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sun, 19 May 2013 16:50:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: pjcamp http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1648711 pjcamp Thu, 07 Feb 2013 02:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1648711 Now splain why the tiniest bit of alcohol added to soda will cause it to go instantly flat without even so much as a Mentos bomb. Now splain why the tiniest bit of alcohol added to soda will cause it to go instantly flat without even so much as a Mentos bomb.

]]> By: peregrinus http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1648367 peregrinus Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1648367  I'd always figured the legal limit to be the lowest BAC safeguard that could be implemented without incurring the wrath of the drinks lobby group and attendant popular voting backlash. Thing is, I never feel comfortable driving around Christmas, or on weekend evenings.  I've seen people swerving around the lanes etc - you know the score.  The thing about alcohol is it plays with desire, the ability to calculate, all the known things - and under many circumstances, people drink to impairment, no matter how minor that impairment might be. I get your point about beer vs vodka, and it's probably accurate in a classroom setting.  But I find it odd that you'd run that through your mind - why not just not drink at all? Anyways, for fun I found this little guide to BAC limits - quite informative, especially as I live in the UK, where apparently we have one of the highest BACs in the world. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-advice/9338731/Driving-abroad-knowing-your-alcohol-limits.html  I’d always figured the legal limit to be the lowest BAC safeguard that could be implemented without incurring the wrath of the drinks lobby group and attendant popular voting backlash.

Thing is, I never feel comfortable driving around Christmas, or on weekend evenings.  I’ve seen people swerving around the lanes etc – you know the score.  The thing about alcohol is it plays with desire, the ability to calculate, all the known things – and under many circumstances, people drink to impairment, no matter how minor that impairment might be.

I get your point about beer vs vodka, and it’s probably accurate in a classroom setting.  But I find it odd that you’d run that through your mind – why not just not drink at all?

Anyways, for fun I found this little guide to BAC limits – quite informative, especially as I live in the UK, where apparently we have one of the highest BACs in the world.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-advice/9338731/Driving-abroad-knowing-your-alcohol-limits.html

]]> By: SAMO1415 http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1648176 SAMO1415 Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:12:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1648176 Anyone who is TIPs trained knows that carbonation will excite your pyloric valve, thereby dumping the alchohol into your bloodstream much faster. So while sugar may impede the process, carbonation does the opposite. Do a shot and chug a soda.  You'll feel more drunk than if you just had the shot. Anyone who is TIPs trained knows that carbonation will excite your pyloric valve, thereby dumping the alchohol into your bloodstream much faster.

So while sugar may impede the process, carbonation does the opposite.

Do a shot and chug a soda.  You’ll feel more drunk than if you just had the shot.

]]> By: MrJM http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1648133 MrJM Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1648133 Drinkers wishing to minimize their blood alcohol should consider avoiding alcohol rather than managing their BAC with sugar. Drinkers wishing to minimize their blood alcohol should consider avoiding alcohol rather than managing their BAC with sugar.

]]> By: Jorpho http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1648094 Jorpho Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1648094 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannitol" rel="nofollow">Mannitol</a> is a sugar alcohol sometimes used in diabetic sweets, but Splenda is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose" rel="nofollow">sucralose</a>, a chlorinated sugar compound, and doesn't exactly qualify as a sugar alcohol.  Neither does <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame" rel="nofollow">aspartame</a>, if I'm not mistaken. Mannitol is a sugar alcohol sometimes used in diabetic sweets, but Splenda is sucralose, a chlorinated sugar compound, and doesn’t exactly qualify as a sugar alcohol.  Neither does aspartame, if I’m not mistaken.

]]> By: GawainLavers http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1648041 GawainLavers Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1648041 The specific question here is comparing sugary mixers with fake sugar mixers, so the "sweet makes more alcohol go down" mechanism should be adequately controlled for. The specific question here is comparing sugary mixers with fake sugar mixers, so the “sweet makes more alcohol go down” mechanism should be adequately controlled for.

]]> By: GawainLavers http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1648036 GawainLavers Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1648036 Can you get drunk on sugar alcohols?  I go through a lot of "Splenda" (two to three packets a day, depending on how cold it is and how much tea I make for myself), and I'd guess your intestines and liver would fall out before you got drunk... Can you get drunk on sugar alcohols?  I go through a lot of “Splenda” (two to three packets a day, depending on how cold it is and how much tea I make for myself), and I’d guess your intestines and liver would fall out before you got drunk…

]]> By: SamSam http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1647990 SamSam Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1647990 The whole point of determining the legal limit is to attempt to quantify when it's ok to drive. If I had one beer three hours ago, we'd probably both agree that this won't affect my driving. Well, this <a href="http://www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htm" rel="nofollow">equates</a> to a blood alcohol level that's about a quarter of the legal limit. If two shots of vodka with several buckets of sugar also corresponds to a blood alcohol level that's a quarter of the legal limit, then I'm just as safe to drive as the guy who had a beer three hours ago. The whole point of determining the legal limit is to attempt to quantify when it’s ok to drive. If I had one beer three hours ago, we’d probably both agree that this won’t affect my driving. Well, this equates to a blood alcohol level that’s about a quarter of the legal limit.

If two shots of vodka with several buckets of sugar also corresponds to a blood alcohol level that’s a quarter of the legal limit, then I’m just as safe to drive as the guy who had a beer three hours ago.

]]> By: SamSam http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1647972 SamSam Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1647972 Yes -- in that it doesn't "fool" it, the breathalyzer just measures how much alcohol there is in your blood stream. Remember that the breathalyzer measures the alcohol in the air coming from your lungs (not your stomach). To get into your lungs, the alcohol had to first get into the bloodstream. If you drink more sugar and less alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream, you will be less drunk, and the breathalyzer will confirm this fact. No fooling involved. Yes — in that it doesn’t “fool” it, the breathalyzer just measures how much alcohol there is in your blood stream. Remember that the breathalyzer measures the alcohol in the air coming from your lungs (not your stomach). To get into your lungs, the alcohol had to first get into the bloodstream.

If you drink more sugar and less alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream, you will be less drunk, and the breathalyzer will confirm this fact. No fooling involved.

]]> By: atteSmythe http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1647966 atteSmythe Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1647966 They were measuring breath alcohol, and artificial sweetners are commonly sugar alcohols. A quick Googling suggests that sugar alcohols can register on a breathalizer. Could that be the only difference? The study participants even registered no difference in perceived impairment. It could be that there was none! They were measuring breath alcohol, and artificial sweetners are commonly sugar alcohols. A quick Googling suggests that sugar alcohols can register on a breathalizer. Could that be the only difference? The study participants even registered no difference in perceived impairment. It could be that there was none!

]]> By: peregrinus http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1647948 peregrinus Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1647948 er ... isn't it simply better to not drink alkhol before driving? I can already feel the Florida State Trooper beating me with his pistol as I protest 'I got confused - I thought it was full fat coke!' er … isn’t it simply better to not drink alkhol before driving?

I can already feel the Florida State Trooper beating me with his pistol as I protest ‘I got confused – I thought it was full fat coke!’

]]> By: toobigtofail http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1647913 toobigtofail Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:52:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1647913 The only thing that stops a bad guy with booze is a good guy with booze. The only thing that stops a bad guy with booze is a good guy with booze.

]]> By: Christopher http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1647904 Christopher Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:48:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1647904 I've often wondered what effect mixers have on alcohol absorption, so this sheds a little light on it. But I've also noticed that some people, particularly inexperienced drinkers (read: my friends and I in our early twenties) tend to drink more of a sweet drink, so even if the sugar mitigates the alcohol absorption somewhat there's still more than enough alcohol consumed to cause tipsiness (read: my friends and I so blotto we're face down on the floor drooling). I’ve often wondered what effect mixers have on alcohol absorption, so this sheds a little light on it. But I’ve also noticed that some people, particularly inexperienced drinkers (read: my friends and I in our early twenties) tend to drink more of a sweet drink, so even if the sugar mitigates the alcohol absorption somewhat there’s still more than enough alcohol consumed to cause tipsiness (read: my friends and I so blotto we’re face down on the floor drooling).

]]> By: Boundegar http://boingboing.net/2013/02/06/why-your-mixer-matters.html#comment-1647903 Boundegar Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=211340#comment-1647903 Ah, but will it fool a Breathalyzer? Ah, but will it fool a Breathalyzer?

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