With summer events and festivals nationwide, Drinkaware reminds adults never to drive with any alcohol in their system — even the next morning.
- 87% of adults now agree that any amount of alcohol impairs their ability to drive, revealing a slight decline in awareness from previous years.
- Only 77% believe that driving the morning after a night of drinking is just as dangerous as drink-driving itself — highlighting a persistent knowledge gap that can carry serious consequences on our roads.
28th July 2026 – Drinkaware, the national independent charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse, is encouraging adults across Ireland to enjoy the August Bank Holiday safely, particularly when it comes to drinking alcohol and driving the morning after consumption. With summer events and summer festivals taking place across the country, it’s more important than ever to plan ahead.
If you are going to drink, leave the car at home and make definitive plans for getting home safely. Despite baseline public awareness of the dangers of drink-driving, Drinkaware wants to remind motorists that there is no place for alcohol on our roads and to never drive with any amount of alcohol in your system. Crucially, many people still dangerously underestimate the risk of driving the day after a night out.
Data from the Drinkaware Barometer reveals that while 87% of adults agree that any amount of alcohol impairs driving ability, only 77% recognise that driving the morning after is just as dangerous. Alarmingly, this knowledge gap widens significantly among certain groups; for instance, only 65% of adults under 35 recognise the risk of driving the morning after drinking. Drinkaware is urging adults to rethink their approach, as bank holiday weekends remain a key risk period, with 51% of adults admitting that specific seasonal times or events lead them to drink more.
Drinkaware CEO Dearbhla O’Brien commented:
“Awareness of the risks of drink-driving, including the morning after, is not where it needs to be. We need to culturally adopt a zero-tolerance approach for such behaviour, which includes putting an end to the common myths about sobering up the next day.
A shower, a strong coffee, or a few hours’ sleep might make you feel more awake, but they don’t remove alcohol from your system. Only time does that. That’s why we’re encouraging people to really think about how much they drank the night before and to utilise tools like our free online Drinks Calculator to understand when it’s actually safe to drive again.
It’s not about guesswork or gut instinct; it’s about facts, awareness, and keeping each other safe this August Bank Holiday.”
It’s important to remember that only time removes alcohol from your system. On average, it takes at least one hour to process a standard drink. A standard drink is roughly equivalent to:
- A small glass of wine (100ml at 12.5%),
- A half pint of lager (4.5%), or
- A pub measure of spirits (40%).
Because an average pint of beer is equal to two standard drinks, if someone drinks three pints of beer, it will take their body a minimum of six hours to fully process that alcohol. Additionally, blood alcohol levels can continue to rise for hours even after someone has stopped drinking their drink of choice.
Common beliefs that a cold shower, strong coffee, a big breakfast, or intense exercise can speed up sobriety are entirely false. While these methods might help you feel temporarily more alert, they do not impact the fixed rate at which your liver processes alcohol.
Drinkaware is offering the following tips to promote moderate drinking this bank holiday weekend:
- Alternate with Non-Alcoholic Drinks: Swap every alcoholic drink with a glass of water or a non-alcoholic option.
- Moderation: Particularly if drinking at home, don’t top up your glass; let yourself finish the drink before pouring another. Measure your drinks using a standard drinks cup, which you can avail of free from www.Drinkaware.ie
- Stay Out of Rounds: Buying rounds can make it harder to keep track of how much you’re drinking — and more difficult to say no.
- Plan Your Exit and Get Home Safe: Know when and how you’ll be getting home, and don’t be afraid to leave when it feels right.
- Know Your Limits: Ask yourself, ‘Do I really want this drink?’ – Be aware of how much alcohol your body can tolerate and monitor how you’re feeling throughout the evening.
- Explore an Alcohol-Free Night: Consider how you want to feel the next morning — and let that guide your choices. Choosing a night off from alcohol can be empowering — and more enjoyable than you might think.
For more information and to try the Drinks Calculator, please visit http://www.drinkaware.ie.
ENDS
For further information or to arrange an interview with Drinkaware CEO Dearbhla O’Brien, please contact:
Sarah-Kate Spratt | Etch Communications | sarahkate@etchcomms.ie | 089 611 5041
Notes to the editor:
About Drinkaware: Drinkaware is a national charity working to prevent and reduce alcohol misuse in Ireland. It is governed by an independent board and regulated by the Charities Regulator. Registered Charity Number: 20204601
* Binge drinking (or heavy episodic drinking) is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the consumption of 60 grams of pure alcohol or six standard drinks in one sitting. Binge drinking is when you drink faster than your liver’s ability to process alcohol. Common standard drinks include a half pint of 4.5% lager, a 100 ml glass of 12.5% wine and a pub measure of 40% spirits.
It takes at least 1 hour to process 1 standard drink. This is a guide for information purposes only. Many factors will affect this time, including age, gender, weight, alcohol strength, the speed of your metabolism and the number of drinks consumed. Find out more here.
References:
- The Drinkaware Barometer 2025 is a national population-based survey of 1,062 adults aged 18+ conducted by Ipsos B&A in July 2025. The ongoing research tracks long-term national trends in alcohol use, attitudes, and mental well-being in Ireland.