When you consume too much alcohol, you may look for ways to sober up quickly. While sleeping is the most reliable way, most people are convinced that black coffee can reduce the effects of alcohol.
But does coffee help sober you up? The caffeine in coffee may make you feel more alert, but it won’t improve the effects of drinking alcohol. Below are a few reasons why drinking black coffee when drunk is a bad idea:
Coffee doesn’t affect the metabolism of alcohol
Caffeine in coffee is a stimulant, while alcohol is a depressant. While you may feel more alert, taking black coffee does not encourage faster metabolism of alcohol. In reality, coffee plays no role in the metabolism of alcohol in the liver, which involves the conversion of toxic acetaldehyde to non-toxic acetate that can be gotten rid of easily by the body.
Coffee increases the chance of alcohol misuse or dependence
The false sensation of sobriety caused by the mixture of alcohol and coffee can prompt more alcohol consumption, thus leading to a long-term chance of alcohol misuse or dependence. What’s more, relying on coffee to make you more alert may make it harder for you to tell how impaired you are when drinking. This may give you a false sense of sobriety, increasing your chances of getting pulled over.
Experiencing more alcohol-related repercussions
A combination of alcohol and black coffee leads to dehydration, making you feel worse. In addition, with your body’s metabolism not working any faster, drinking black coffee on a stomach full of alcohol can lead to impaired judgment, poor decision-making and erratic driving, which increases the risk of a DUI charge.
While drinking coffee will make you more focused, it doesn’t make you fit to drive. If you’ve fallen prey to that kind of mistake and are facing charges, you may be wisest to seek experienced legal guidance for your defense.
