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The physical and legal consequences of vaping alcohol

On Behalf of | Apr 8, 2020 | Dui |

Many young people are always looking for new and more efficient ways to get drunk. One of these involves vaping alcohol. This can be done with a vape pen or more elaborate alcohol vaporizers.

If you vape alcohol, it goes directly to the lungs rather than through the digestive system. You’ll feel the effects faster than if you drank it. That means that it can be detected immediately in a breath test like those administered by law enforcement or an ignition interlock device (IID) installed in your car after a DUI.

Even if you chew a few Altoids or swallow some mouthwash, that vaped alcohol has gone into your lungs and will register in your blood alcohol content (BAC) when you blow into any kind of alcohol detection device.

Vaping alcohol is very much like binge drinking, except that it can get you very drunk even more quickly. People who aren’t used to doing it are particularly at risk for alcohol poisoning because they may be unaware of just how much alcohol is going into their bodies.

That’s not the only potential for serious physical harm. Alcohol isn’t meant to go into the lungs. It can irritate them and even cause lung damage.

If someone has underestimated how much alcohol they’ve vaped, they could easily be over the legal limit for driving. If they’re under 21, that legal limit in Georgia is just .02% BAC. If a minor is convicted of a first-time DUI, they could spend up to a year in jail. They’re likely to face other penalties as well, including license suspension, community service and a mandatory IID once they’re able to drive again.

While it may be tempting to let your child learn their lesson by dealing with all of the consequences the court orders, it’s still wise to make sure that they have an attorney who will protect their rights and guide them through the justice system.

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