Understanding Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) measures how much alcohol is in your blood. As an example, a BAC of 0.10% means there are 0.10 grams of alcohol in every 100 milliliters of your blood. This measure is important for figuring out how impaired someone is and is used by law to manage drinking and driving rules.
Approximate Blood Alcohol Percentage for Men by Body Weight
| Drinks | 100 lbs | 120 lbs | 140 lbs | 160 lbs | 180 lbs | 200 lbs | 220 lbs | 240 lbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| 2 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
| 3 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| 4 | 0.15 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| 5 | 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.09 | 0.08 |
| 6 | 0.23 | 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.11 | 0.1 | 0.09 |
| 7 | 0.26 | 0.22 | 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.12 | 0.11 |
| 8 | 0.3 | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.13 |
| 9 | 0.34 | 0.28 | 0.24 | 0.21 | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.15 | 0.14 |
| 10 | 0.38 | 0.31 | 0.27 | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.16 |
* 1 drink = 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor, 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine
Approximate Blood Alcohol Percentage for Women by Body Weight
| Drinks | 90 lbs | 100 lbs | 120 lbs | 140 lbs | 160 lbs | 180 lbs | 200 lbs | 220 lbs | 240 lbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 |
| 2 | 0.1 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| 3 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.11 | 0.1 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.06 |
| 4 | 0.2 | 0.18 | 0.15 | 0.13 | 0.11 | 0.1 | 0.09 | 0.08 | 0.08 |
| 5 | 0.25 | 0.23 | 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.11 | 0.1 | 0.09 |
| 6 | 0.3 | 0.27 | 0.23 | 0.19 | 0.17 | 0.15 | 0.14 | 0.12 | 0.11 |
| 7 | 0.35 | 0.32 | 0.27 | 0.23 | 0.2 | 0.18 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.13 |
| 8 | 0.4 | 0.36 | 0.3 | 0.26 | 0.23 | 0.2 | 0.18 | 0.17 | 0.15 |
| 9 | 0.45 | 0.41 | 0.34 | 0.29 | 0.26 | 0.23 | 0.2 | 0.19 | 0.17 |
| 10 | 0.51 | 0.45 | 0.38 | 0.32 | 0.28 | 0.25 | 0.23 | 0.21 | 0.19 |
* 1 drink = 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor, 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine
Initial Alcohol Effects, Blood Alcohol Level Normal Range (BAC 0.02% - 0.04%)
At the lowest BAC levels, individuals might feel slightly buzzed. This includes feeling a bit relaxed, somewhat less inhibited, and experiencing a minor change in mood. These mild effects can make someone feel more social and open.
Moderate Impairment, What BAC is Drunk? (BAC 0.05% - 0.10%)
Once BAC reaches moderate levels, the effects of alcohol are more obvious and can affect how well someone can function. At this stage, rather than blood alcohol level normal range, people have bigger problems with judgment and moving properly. This level can cause over-the-top behavior, less sharpness, and slower reactions. A BAC of 0.08% is often the legal limit for driving in many areas, showing the point where it can start to be unsafe for the public.
High Impairment (BAC 0.12% - 0.19%)
In this range, people may face big problems with their physical and mental abilities. Effects include extreme mood changes, confusion, big trouble with movement, and a higher chance of accidents. High BAC levels greatly impact how a person sees things, makes decisions, and behaves, making it very dangerous to drive or use machines.
Severe Risk Levels (BAC 0.20% - 0.24%)
At these BAC levels, the risks are very high. People might pass out, not be able to respond, and have serious breathing problems. The chance of life-threatening situations goes up a lot, and they need immediate medical help.
