Here’s the truth | Rumor has it that drinking “alcohol-free” beer is not considered drunk driving? Traffic police: "No alcohol" ≠ zero alcohol
Recently, some merchants claimed that "drinking non-alcoholic beer does not constitute drunk driving." Subsequently, the topic "Would driving after drinking non-alcoholic beer constitute drunk driving?" triggered a heated discussion among netizens. Is non-alcoholic beer equal to zero alcohol?
Does non-alcoholic beer really contain no alcohol at all?
The reporter visited the supermarket and saw that the outer packaging of a non-alcoholic beer was marked with an alcohol content of no more than 0.5 ml per 100 ml of liquor. This is exactly the current national standard for non-alcoholic beer. The alcohol content of ordinary beer on the market is mostly 3 to 5 ml per 100 ml, and the alcohol content of the two is significantly different. The traffic police reminded that non-alcoholic beer is not completely alcohol-free, and drinking large amounts still poses the risk of drunk driving.
Bai Qiumei, deputy captain of the political work brigade of the Traffic Management Detachment of Baoding Public Security Bureau: According to national standards, alcohol-free does not mean zero alcohol in the true sense, but the alcohol content is relatively low. If consumed in excess, or if metabolized differently due to individual constitution, alcohol will have a cumulative effect in the body. If you drive after drinking non-alcoholic beer, you may be tested for alcohol in your body.
According to our country's laws, a driver's blood alcohol content reaching 20 mg per 100 ml is considered a drunk driving standard; a driver's blood alcohol content reaching 80 mg per 100 ml is considered drunk driving. The traffic police reminded that when we drink a large amount of non-alcoholic beer in a short period of time, and some people have poor alcohol metabolism, it may still lead to the accumulation of alcohol in the body, reaching or even exceeding 20 mg per 100 milliliters. In addition, even if the drunk driving threshold is not reached, the alcohol in the body will still affect our judgment and reaction ability. At this time, driving will pose certain safety risks.
Bai Qiumei, deputy captain of the political work brigade of the Traffic Management Detachment of Baoding Public Security Bureau: Here, our traffic police would like to remind you that no matter whether you are drinking non-alcoholic drinks, as long as you are drinking, please do not drive.
Some foods may contain alcohol
Beware of “invisible drunk driving”
In short, "alcohol-free" is just a national standard concept and does not mean the absence of alcohol. In addition, some foods may also contain alcohol, and there is a risk of being detected for drunk driving.
Zhu Yi, associate professor at the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University: "Alcohol-free" does not mean that there is absolutely no alcohol at all. Drinking several bottles of non-alcoholic beer in a short period of time may approach or even exceed the red line for drunk driving. Weight, gender, metabolism, and whether you are fasting all vary greatly among individuals. Even if the penalty standards are not met, sensitive people will have reduced reaction and judgment, posing safety risks when driving.
Zhu Yi, associate professor at the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University: Here we need to distinguish between the residual alcohol in the mouth and the alcohol that is actually absorbed by the body. If you store long-fermented lychees or biscuits and cakes sprayed with edible alcohol, the air blower may alarm you just after eating. This is just a residue on the surface of the mouth. However, alcohol-free beer is the same as Huoxiang Zhengqi water containing 40%-50% ethanol. Alcohol will be absorbed by the body through the gastrointestinal tract. The instructions for Huoxiang Zhengqi water also clearly indicate that driving is prohibited while taking the medicine. As long as you are driving, do not drink non-alcoholic beer or alcohol-containing medicines. The purine brought by malt will still be retained, and the content of different products varies greatly. People with high uric acid and gout should not drink it just because it is alcohol-free.
