Calculating BAC

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is a fundamental measure of alcohol in your blood. Understanding your BAC can prove crucial in various scenarios, whether it’s preemptively assessing your condition before leaving a social establishment or if you find yourself facing allegations of Driving Under the Influence (DUI). When confronted with a DUI charge, law enforcement personnel might request you to perform field sobriety tests, such as balancing on one leg, tracking a light with your eyes, or walking heel-to-toe in a straight line. Failing in these evaluations may raise suspicion of drug or alcohol impairment, prompting the officer to request further tests like a breathalyzer or chemical (blood or urine) examination.

What Is Blood Alcohol Concentration?

As you consume alcoholic beverages, the alcohol permeates your bloodstream, escalating the concentration of alcohol in your blood proportionally. The majority of states, including Pennsylvania, define the legal limit for adults at 0.08 percent BAC. Crossing this limit can lead to a DUI offense. A BAC test precisely quantifies the volume of alcohol in your blood, with a BAC of 0.08 percent denoting 0.08 grams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood.

For individuals below the legal drinking age, Pennsylvania applies a zero-tolerance policy towards underage DUI, meaning any BAC level of 0.02 percent or higher results in an automatic DUI charge.

What Factors Affect BAC?

• Gender: Generally, women exhibit higher BAC levels compared to men who consume an equivalent amount of alcohol. This primarily stems from women typically having a smaller physique than men.

• Body Fat: A higher body fat percentage can lead to an increased BAC. This occurs since body fat doesn’t absorb alcohol as efficiently as other tissues.

• Empty Stomach: Consuming alcohol on an empty stomach often contributes to a higher BAC compared to individuals who have had a meal alongside their drinks. The presence of food in the stomach can slow down the absorption of alcohol, resulting in a lower BAC.

• Body Size: Smaller and lighter individuals generally experience higher BAC levels compared to larger and heavier counterparts. This is primarily due to alcohol having less area to disperse within the body of a smaller person.

Determining BAC 

To accurately estimate your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), it’s important to understand the alcohol content commonly found in various drinks. One drink equates to a 5-ounce glass of wine, a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor, or a 12-ounce beer. Wine typically contains 15 to 20 percent alcohol, while liquor ranges from 30 to 50 percent. Beer, on the other hand, contains about 4 to 4.5 percent alcohol. As an example, a Long Island Iced Tea, which combines multiple types of alcohol, has an alcohol content of 22 percent.

Calculating your BAC requires knowing the duration of your drinking session, the number of alcohol ounces consumed, the alcohol percentage in the drinks, and your weight. Widmark’s Formula can assist in determining your BAC:

BAC = (ounces of alcohol consumed * 5.14 / weight in pounds * gender constant) – .015 * hours since drinking began.

For alcohol distribution, the gender constant is 0.66 for women and 0.73 for men.

For instance, if you are a 150-pound adult woman who had two 12-ounce beers in the last two hours, you can calculate your BAC using the following formula:

% BAC = (1.20 x 5.14 / 150 x 0.66) – 0.015 x 2

% BAC = (6.168 / 99) – 0.03

% BAC = 0.062 – 0.03

% BAC = 0.032 (which is below the legal limit of 0.08% for adults, indicating you are not legally intoxicated)

Do This When Your Back Is Too High

If your BAC is too high, it is crucial to comply with the legal requirement of taking a BAC test. Refusing a blood or breath test can result in an automatic license suspension and an additional criminal charge. If you find yourself arrested for DUI, it is advisable to seek immediate assistance from a seasoned Butler PA DUI attorney.

If you are facing charges of Driving Under the Influence, you deserve the expertise of an experienced and knowledgeable Butler PA criminal attorney. At Logue Law Group, we have successfully handled numerous DUI cases. Our services extend to Butler, PA, West Virginia, and Ohio. Contact us today for an initial consultation at 844.PITT.DUI or (412) 389-0805, or visit our website to get in touch.