How Long After Drinking?

[JandJDude]

Just curious as to other's opinions here. Obviously you can not CCW when drinking or in certain establisments (CCWI's general rule about age limits being a good rule of thumb.)

My question is, how soon after drinking can one CCW again? Obviously it relates to what and how much you drink.

I present a hypothetical scenario: I go out to dinner with my girlfriend. I plan on having a glass of wine at dinner so I disarm and leave my gun in the car. After dinner we walk back to the car to drive to the theater. Do I re-arm myself? Or do I go the rest of the night without CCWing just to be sure? Would it matter if I had more than one glass of wine? What if I had two beers?

Obviously if you go to a party and are taking tequila body shots off some hot sorority girl's flat stomach, you're not going to be carrying that night and most likely not the next day either. Thankfully I don't do that anymore, if for no other reason than my girlfriend would kick my butt , but the general idea stands.

I'm just curious as to where the line should be drawn when only having a drink or two at dinner.

Comments?

[PHM]

That would all depend on your tolerance for alcohol. Use good judgment and you will be fine, that law states

"While exercising the privileges granted to the licensee under the terms of this license, the licensee
shall not, when carrying a concealed weapon:
• Consume any alcoholic beverage."


I know people that can drink a 6 pack and are fine, I know other people that have 1 beer and need to be cut off because they start acting stupid. As a good rule I would probably use the same standard for driving a car.

[Mad Geek]

Since you're asking for opinion based on a "hypothetical scenario", if I were in that situation and knew I was going to be going out for dinner and having a drink and then going to a show, I'd leave the my gun at home.

My reasoning: I'm carrying a concealed weapon issued by my county's Sheriff. A condition of carrying this concealed weapon is that I will not be under the influence of alcohol while carrying or in an establishment that servers alchohol that doesn't also serve food (a bar). We aren't talking about a legal limit like what is needed to prove DUI, we are talking about going against a condition I've agreed to in order to be granted a license to carry. Whether you meet the criteria for "legally drunk" or not, after drinking a glass of wine, have a cocktail or a beer, you are "under the influence" for a period of time. Me personally, I'm not willing to jeopardize my ability to carry for the sake of having a glass of wine when I can just as easily have a soda or a cup of coffee. I have been out to dinner with my wife and family and would have loved to have had a cocktail with my Wife, but since I made the choice to carry, I don't. If it would have been important enough to drink, I'd have left the gun at home. When I drink at home, the gun goes into the safe and the safe is locked. It doesn't happen often, but why "twist the dogs tail"?

You asked for opinions, that's mine. It's a choice I make that I can live with.

[Bombard]

My personal opinion only -

8 hours. Following the example of FAA regs.

[JandJDude]

It's interesting to hear the different view points out there, from the ability to act rationally and responsibly no matter how much you drink, to referencing FAA regulations.

As cited, the law is specific about no CCW when drinking, but doesn't say how long that prohibition lasts. Hence the question. My inclination was to go with the first analogy equating CCW responsibilities with those of driving but I'm trying to learn and am still interested in hearing opinions on the issue.

[GlockDoc]

I don't drink, so it is impossible to apply my past experiences.

But, something to be considered: Let's say you did consume wine earlier in the night, and you did leave your weapon in the car while consuming it. If you re-arm yourself soon after and the S**t hits the fan and you end up discharging your weapon which results in injury, you can guarantee that someone's attorney will eat you alive. You have given them an opening, above and beyond what is already there, to question your judgement at the time of the shooting. Judgement that was influenced by alcohol. "How can you give an accurate account of what my client's deceased son did before you shot him, if you were under the influence of alcohol?" No matter how little you had, they'll get a doctor to testify that amount was enough to cloud your judgement/recollection.

In my book, better to keep a clear mind if packing. Guns and alcohol don't mix. Beer stays in the fridge while the guns are out, and the guns stay in the safe when the beer is out.

[Spicy McHaggis]

My opinion here, but I'm going to say wait until you are .00. Remember the first part of section 8 in the terms of the license?

Restrictions by Act: Any of the following or similar acts while in possession of a firearm shall be considered a violation of the permittee’s general responsibilities as specified below:
a. any violation of law,

By drinking somewhere besides your home you are violating the law in some way. Drinking in public, PC 647(f), or DUI, VC23152(a) and/or 23152(b). Even if you only had one drink and are well below .08, you could still be charged with one of these. (NOTE: Not saying you would DUI, but just putting that out there.)

[Tom98915]

You have something in your hand that can change lives forever and not for the good either.
If you are going to have a drink, leave it at home, and drink in moderation.

Anyway, why even chance it?

[YankeeDog]

This probably has been said numerous times on this forum, but having a CCW puts the holder in an elite fraternity. The CCW holder is given great trust by the government. Booze has no sane connection with a CCW. If you are going to have one, leave the weapon at home. Same goes with driving.



YankeeDog in Surf City

[Bonecutter]

Originally Posted by YankeeDog

This probably has been said numerous times on this forum, but having a CCW puts the holder in an elite fraternity. The CCW holder is given great trust by the government. Booze has no sane connection with a CCW. If you are going to have one, leave the weapon at home. Same goes with driving.



YankeeDog in Surf City

Well said.....

on the hypothetical side. You drank....sobered up and re-armed. Get pulled over and the officer smells booze on your breath. Do you really want to push the "but Im sober now" issue. Even if you blow 0.0 he can prolly still get your license pulled with a phone call.

Just depends on how important keeping it is for you.....

[SierraNevadaCCW]

Drink at home. If you carry, there should be no alcohol in your system whatsoever...and that includes prescription medications which have any kind of "operation of machinery" warning.

[NikNak]

I used to have a Trucker's Commercial Driver's license ... it was .04 for removal. That meant that even after a night of partying, the next AM I still wasn't legal. Same goes for CCW. Ni-Quill, "one for the ditch" etc will get you yanked. Place yourself in the LEO position ... if he smells it, it's there. You are done.
I now only drink at home when re-loading ammo .... ok, bad idea. I only drink when home alone .... ok, so I rarely drink anymore and never when out with my bride and CCWing.

[OCRancher]

I don't drink within 12 hours before handling a gun, period. And if I have a headache or feeling a bit sleepy, sick or similar, same deal, I take a nap and wait until I feel normal, or skip the whole thing.

[THaves]

I think we are all in agreement on this one. If you feel the need to drink then leave your gun at home.

Best solution is no drink, stay armed and protected

[emc002]

Originally Posted by THaves

I think we are all in agreement on this one. If you feel the need to drink then leave your gun at home.

+1, that's what I've been doing too.
Fraternal organizations are a bit more grey, but err on the side of caution.
E.g. I belong to Native Sons of the Golden West, and our parlor has a few (yes a few) bars in the building. No matter where people are congregated to socialize, there's a bar nearby. I just leave the gun in the lock box in the car even if I'm not drinking. I don't want to be in a grey area, plus my Sheriff is a member!