Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) refers to the percent of alcohol in a person’s bloodstream i.e. a BAC of 0.03% coveys in 0.3% (permille) or 0.03 grams of alcohol per 100 grams of an individual’s blood. Alcohol intoxication is commonly measured through BAC levels for legal and medical purposes.

Consumed alcohol gets digested and metabolized in one’s bloodstream. Blood alcohol concentration is measured by breath, blood or urine tests. Since it is dangerous to drive drunk, for purposes of law enforcement, blood alcohol content is used to assess intoxication and provides a rough measure of impairment.

When your blood alcohol content is 0.08% or higher, you’re considered legally impaired in the U.S and you should not be operating a motor vehicle. This is the general measurement used by the government to interpret if one is unable to drive. Although, there are different effects with BAC depending on variables such as height and weight, a BAC of .08% is a great general metric to use. It is still feasible to get a DUI even if you are coherent but you blow a .08 BAC.
Driving with a BAC of .08% or higher can endanger the lives of yourself, passengers, and the general public. Think twice before you get on the road inebriated.

Your liver can metabolize only a certain amount of alcohol per hour. Time is the biggest factor in disposing of alcohol in one’s bloodstream. The general rule of thumb is one alcoholic drink per hour to be safe. This rule of thumb accounts for the individual variations such as height, weight, body fat, food intake and percent body water.

Here is a helpful infographic made by Orent Law Offices, PLC on how BAC levels impact your driving ability:

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