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Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) measures the percentage of alcohol in a person's bloodstream
- The amount you drink and the speed at which alcohol is consumed will have a huge impact on your BAC level
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BAC = (alcohol consumed in grams) / (body weight in grams x R) x 100
- Biological factors like a person's sex or size change the impact of each drink on a person's level of intoxication → R = 0.55 for females and 0.68 for males
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Standard drink sizes:
- Wine: 5oz = 148ml; alcohol by volume: 11-16%
- Beer: 12oz = 355ml; alcohol by volume: 3-5%
- Liquor: 1.5oz = 44ml; alcohol by volume: 40% (80 proof)
- Water content in muscles dilutes the distribution of alcohol → greater muscle mass buffers a rapid rise in BAC
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Drinking in an unfamiliar environment can increase your impairment (situational tolerance)
- In a typical environment that you drink in, your body receives a cue that it will receive alcohol → tolerance goes into effect when cued
- In an unfamiliar environment, your body does not get the cue → might feel like you drank more than you actually did
Alcohol & You
Alcohol Facts
Effects of Alcohol
- Feelings of relaxation, lower inhibitions, and sociability, followed by drowsiness and impaired judgment, speech, and coordination
- Dizziness, slurred speech, poor balance, vomiting, blackouts, inability to walk
- Overdose may produce slowed breathing, blue lips/fingernails, slowed heart rate, unresponsiveness, and possible death
Risk Spectrum of Intoxication
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Low-risk signs of intoxication:
- More outgoing than usual
- Extra talkative
- Yelling
- Reduced inhibitions
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Moderate-risk signs of intoxication:
- Very emotional
- Repeating stories (blackout)
- Slurring speech
- Stumbling
- Vomiting
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High-risk signs of intoxication
- Nodding off at party (extreme drowsiness)
- Unable to walk on own
- Glazed eyes (unable to focus)
- Repeated vomiting
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Low-risk signs of intoxication:
When to Call for Help
- Repeated vomiting
- Incoherence
- Unable to stand/walk
- Glazed eyes
- Slowed breathing
- Blue lips/fingernails
- Cold/clammy/pale skin
- Unresponsive/passed out
- Difficulty breathing
- Physical injury
- Weak or absent pulse
Strategies to Reduce Risk
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Eat a meal before drinking
- Food in your stomach can slow the absorption of alcohol
- Pace yourself to 1 hr+ between drinks
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Alternate with water or non-alcoholic drinks
- Alcohol is dehydrating. Drinking water can help rehydrate + pace your drinks
- Set a drink limit before you go out
- Set your optimal buzz as your target level of intoxication
- Group up - find friends who want to have a similar night as you
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Eat a meal before drinking
Blood Alcohol Concentration Charts
