Drinking a sugar drink is never good for a person's waistline, but it can have an affect on slowing down your body's absorption of alcohol.

A recent study found that individuals who mixed their liquor with a sugary drink like soda would have less blood alcohol concentration for the same drink with a diet soda, reports NPR.

According to the study, sugar slows down the absorption of alcohol from the stomach into the bloodstream. So if you cut back on the sugar and order a drink with a diet soda, you may be putting yourself at a greater risk of getting arrested for a DUI as there is nothing to slow the absorption of alcohol.

The study is interesting as the subjects did not report feeling any more impaired when they drank the same amount of alcohol with a diet soda as opposed to a regular soda.

Yet, the subjects blood alcohol level were significantly higher when they mixed their drinks with diet soda. The average blood alcohol content for diet soda mixers was  0.091, while those subjects who used regular soda registered a 0.077.

While the per se legal limit in Washington is a .08, a person can and usually will get charged with DUI if their reading is below.  The government can still charge a person with DUI under the "affected by" prong.

And while this study may be encouraging for traditionalists who like their soda sugary, the difference is so minimal that no one should ever rely on a "choice of mixer" defense.

Instead, if you plan to have a drink or two, make sure you avoid driving or have a designated driver ready.

The attorneys at Wolff Criminal Defense are dedicated to fighting DUI charges. But first and foremost, we want to ensure that you don't get in trouble in the first place. If you do have a question about a DUI matter in the Seattle or King County areas, please give us a call at 425-284-2000.