BAC: What’s It All About?

BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION depends on:–Weight–Gender–How much you drank.

• How do you know how much you drank?

• We have to define “one drink”

“One Drink”

Blood Alcohol Levels: So What?(8)

• BAL = 0.03 to 0.07

• (Euphoria and excitement)• Self-confident/daring• Short attention span• Poor judgment• Fine motor skills impaired

Blood Alcohol Levels(8)

• BAL = 0.08-.17

• (Legally drunk and losing control)• Sleepy• Memory loss• Reaction time decreased• Uncoordinated/loss of balance• Blurry vision and impaired senses

Blood Alcohol Levels(8)

• BAL = 0.18 to 0.24

• (Confusion and Misery)• Confused/dizzy• Highly emotional• Cannot see/slurred speech• Uncoordinated/sleepy• May not feel pain as easily

Blood Alcohol Levels(8)

• BAL = 0.25 to 0.40 (Stupor)• Can barely move at all• Cannot respond to stimuli• Cannot stand or walk• Vomiting• Lapse in and out of consciousness

Blood Alcohol Levels(8)

• BAL = 0.35 to 0.50 (Coma)• Unconscious• Reflexes depressed• Decreased body temperature• Decreased breathing rate• Decreased heart rate• Could die

Blood Alcohol Levels(8)

• BAL = Greater than 0.50 (Death)• Breathing stops• That says it all!

Driving Limits(6)

• The legal limit is .08

• The legal limit for teens is .01! Teens cannot legally drink at all according to the law.