Alcohol

Question 1

What is ethanol?

Answer 1

CH3CH2OH, alcohol
Colourless, volatile liquid
Also found in many other products e.g. perfume, mouthwash

Question 2

What are the effects of 20mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood?

Answer 2

Disinhibition- euphoria, emotional, instability and release of social and sexual inhibitions, loss of judgment

Question 3

What are the effects of 80mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood

Answer 3

Above effects become pronounced and motor coordination becomes affected and there is a marked effect on judgement

Question 4

What are the effects of 200mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood

Answer 4

Motor coordination is progressively lost and speech becomes slurred

Question 5

What are the effects of 300mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood

Answer 5

Unconsciousness

Question 6

What are the effects of 400mg of alcohol per 100mL of blood

Answer 6

Death from respiratory failure

Question 7

What is the highest level of blood alcohol ever seen?

Answer 7

628mg/100mL of blood

Question 8

What is pharmacokinetics of alcohol?

Answer 8

Pharmo (drugs) kinetics (movement)- i.e. movement of drugs around the body

Question 9

Where is alcohol rapidly absorbed?

Answer 9

Mouth, lungs, stomach and small intestine

Question 10

Where is alcohol absorbed if drinking about 20%?

Answer 10

Stomach and rest of small intestine (peak blood concentration in 30-60 minutes)

Question 11

Where is alcohol cleared from?

Answer 11

Predominantly by metabolism in the liver

Question 12

Why does fizzy/gassy alcohol get you drunker quicker?

Answer 12

Alcohol is inhaled into the lungs

Question 13

What causes a hangover?

Answer 13

Ethanal

Question 14

What does alcohol metabolise to?

Answer 14

CH3CH2OH + NAD+ -> CH3CHO + NADH

Question 15

What is clearance of alcohol?

Answer 15

Zero order (alcohol clears at a constant rate) i.e. ethanol cleared at a constant rate regardless of concentration

Question 16

What is an Intoximeter (IR/EC)

Answer 16

Detection of alcohol in expired air

Detects mouth alcohol and interfering substances

Question 17

What does an Intoximeter measure?

Answer 17

Lung alcohol concentration

Question 18

How is alcohol content in blood measured?

Answer 18

Usually gas chromatography of extracted blood sample with IR/EC detector

Question 19

What does IR stand for?

Answer 19

Infra Red

Question 20

What does EC stand for?

Answer 20

Electron Capture- specifically picks up alcohol

Question 21

What is the Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 4 (1)?

Answer 21

Driving a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs

Question 22

What is the Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 4 (2)?

Answer 22

Being in charge of a motor vehicle whilst unfit through drink or drugs
Field Impairment test shows nothing about the ability to drive

Question 23

What is the Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 5 (1)(a)?

Answer 23

Driving a motor vehicle after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion in breath or blood was >22 microgrammes per 100mL of breath, >50 milligrammes per 100mL of blood or >69 milligrammes of alcohol in 100mL of urine.

Question 24

What is the Road Traffic Act 1988 Section 5 (1)(b)?

Answer 24

Being in charge of a motor vehicle after consuming so much alcohol that the proportion in breath or blood was >35 microgrammes per 100mL of breath, >80 milligrammes per 100mL of blood or > 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100mL of urine.

Question 25

What is the procedure when it comes to drink driving?

Answer 25

Police stop suspect- accident or other road traffic offence Detect alcohol (smell) Roadside breath test If positive, arrest and take to Police Office Intoximeter procedure

Question 26

If the intoximeter is <40 what do you do?

Answer 26

Release without charge

Question 27

If the intoximeter is >50 what do you do?

Answer 27

Charge

Question 28

If the intoximeter is between 40-50 what do you do?

Answer 28

Take blood/urine sample

Question 29

What is statutory defence?

Answer 29

In which a party cannot be shown to have acted purposely, knowingly, recklessly, or negligently as the law may require, with respect to each material element of the offence.

Question 30

What is a statutory defence in drink drive cases?

Answer 30

No intention to drive need calculation of when subject would fall below the statutory limit

Question 31

What are the lines of defence in drink driving cases?

Answer 31

Section 4 & 5- statutory defence | Post-incidence drinking

Question 32

How can post-incidence drinking be a defence?

Answer 32

Drink after the events been occurred | E.g. Have hip flask in car, be pulled over and then take a drink before the police speak to you

Question 33

How can section 5 be used as a defence?

Answer 33

Spiked drinks Calculations required to verify evidence How are calculations done

Question 34

How are calculations of alcohol concentration calculated?

Answer 34

Height and weight of subject Amount of alcohol consumed (type and volume) When alcohol consumed (important is START TIME) Intoximeter and/or blood sample readings What times values needed for

Question 35

What is the difference in gender between uptake and clearance of alcohol?

Answer 35

There is no difference between males and females