Liberator4EVA

Anyone know a little more about this?

I was in another forum, for British citizens living in Germany. One thing that came up, was that if you are busted for driving or cycling drunk, or found "drunk and incapable" as a pedestrian, you're breath tested, and if found to be far over the drink drive limit, get your licence suspended.

The interesting bit is that you don't get it back automatically at the end of the ban period, apparently there is a liver function blood test , which you must pass. What was (incorrectly?) stated on that forum, was that you had to drink little or no alcohol for 6 months to be sure of passing the test. Scaremongering?

For many of us folks here, such a test, if it existed, sounds too good to be true.

I did another search trying to find out more about such a liver function test, came across a family doctor Q&A type website, where a person who'd lost their licence was asking how much he could drink on a daily basis and still pass this test. The doctor replied that the test can only really pick up cirrhosis so unless his liver is already seriously damaged the answer is, "a lot"?

dandylion

I used to manage detox for alcoholics.....and, I would always get a liver function test at the beginning of detox....and, then get another test 2 weeks later (after no drinking). For those who did not already have advanced liver damage the liver enzymes would drop dramatically. For most, a month after quitting drinking the liver enzymes would be down to essentially normal levels. (this is a general statement--other illnesses and medications, etc. are variables that can influence).

dandylion

LexieCat

I don't think small amounts of alcohol in someone who did not have serious liver damage would be detectable in the enzymes so as to prove that someone had not completely abstained. Not all alcoholics develop serious liver problems.

jarp

Correct in my experience.

My RAH recently had his enzymes redone (were done at the start of detox) and his levels are completely normal.

He's been drinking for 20 years - the last 2 very heavily...he had seizures when detoxing - and even then his enzymes were only slightly elevated. The detox MD said he sees this all the time....enzymes dont equal stage of diseaese in everyone.

velma929

You know what alcoholics do in those circumstances? They drive without valid ********.

The penalties may be more severe in Europe, but the work-around is the same.

In my neck of the woods, a man went ballistic when he found out the drunk who hit and permanently disabled his brother had lost his license to drive multiple times. Losing your license doesn't stop the ignition key from starting the car. The idea of seizing the car is brought up in these discussions. If it is a family car that another member uses to get to work and back you're plunging the whole family deeper into poverty.

littlefish

Mass transit would save so many lives if we had more of it in the US. But, I wonder if US taxpayers would find that appealing: mass transit keeps drunks out of cars. ?