Your blood alcohol concentration level is the measure by which Nebraska law enforcement determines if you are in violation of the laws against drunk driving. The BAC indicates how much alcohol is in your body.
To a large extent, your BAC level depends on how much you drink, i.e., the more you drink, the higher your BAC will be. However, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are a number of other factors that affect the rate at which your BAC increases while drinking.
1. Weight
The more you weigh, the slower your BAC increases. Water in your body dilutes the alcohol, and heavier people have more water in their bodies.
2. Stomach contents
Your BAC increases more slowly when you have had something to eat before consuming alcohol. Food in your stomach slows down the rate of alcohol absorption.
3. Drinking speed
It is not only how much you drink that increases your BAC; it is how fast you drink. Compared to consuming alcohol over a longer period of time, drinking quickly will increase your BAC. This is why binge drinking or “chugging” is so dangerous even if you do not attempt to drive afterward.
4. Gender
Generally speaking, more alcohol tends to remain in a woman’s bloodstream than in a man’s even after drinking the same amount. This is because alcohol has a hard time going into fat cells, and women tend to have more body fat than men.
The information in this article is not intended as legal advice but provided for educational purposes only.
