Across the nation, kava bars are appearing with more and more regularity. What was once a selective, unknown drink is becoming a booming industry.
Many people refer to kava bars as “sober bars,” but depending on who you ask, that can be a bit of a misnomer. Kava is a kind of tea that produces a sedative effect on the drinker. This effect can be profound for some, making them numb and slowing down their reaction time.
It may not be wise to drive ager drinking kava, but right now, doing so is still technically legal. Don’t, however, rest too comfortably on that knowledge. If the police believe that kava impaired your driving, they could still arrest you for a DUI.
How the Police Determine a DUI Case
When it comes to alcohol, police can test intoxication with somewhat accurate results. Breathalyzer results are debatable but still valid in court. Blood alcohol tests are hard to dispute.
Other forms of intoxication are more difficult to prove. There are blood tests that can detect street drugs, but even these can be inaccurate. Sometimes, someone can be stone sober and still have trace amounts of a drug in their system.
Then there are drugs that the police can’t detect in your system. Either their testing doesn’t look for it, or it’s a newer drug that hasn’t been incorporated into testing yet.
Therefore, police must rely on their intuition when accusing someone of driving under the influence. Quite simply, if they believe a substance impaired your driving, they can charge you with a DUI.
Perfectly legal substances could get you in trouble. Technically, if the police believe you had too much caffeine, they can claim you were driving under the influence.
What to Do if You Are Pulled Over While Drinking Kava
Remember, police often use their judgement when arresting someone for a DUI, even in the absence of hard evidence. If you are driving erratically and get pulled over, the cops will probably assume you are under the influence.
Any time you are pulled over, use your right to remain silent. By law, you may need to give the police basic information like your name, but otherwise, you don’t have to tell them anything else.
Cops will often employ sneaky methods, attempting to make you implicate yourself. They’ll ask questions like, “What’s in your cupholder?” or, “What have you been drinking?” Don’t say a word. Just cooperate, hand over your information, and keep your mouth closed.
At worst, the cops can accuse you of reckless driving. This is still a serious charge, and you should employ a lawyer to help you fight it. It is not, however, as bad as a DUI accusation. Those come with driving suspensions, mandatory rehab, car impounding, and many other oppressive consequences.
We don’t encourage you to drive after drinking kava, taking certain prescription drugs, etc. Sometimes, however, doing so is unavoidable. If you’ve been accused of a DUI, even though you were not breaking the law, we can help. For a free consultation, call us today at (931) 361-4477, or contact us online.
