The VH3 Blood Alcohol Content Calculator

Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) – a unit measuring the amount of alcohol in the body. E.g., 0.05 BAC = 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

On April 27th, 2010 the BC Government announced a strengthening of its drinking and driving laws which now allow most penalties to be applied at the roadside rather than at the police station, and adds a minimum $450 penalty, and 3 day suspension, for driving over over .05 BAC. [E.G a 170 lbs. woman consuming 2 cans of beer over 30 minutes will have a BAC of .051 (over the limit), and just under if consumed over 1 hour].  If you blow over .08 your suspended for 90 days, your minimum cost are $4,500, and you may be charged under the Criminal Code of Canada. 

These will come into effect fall 2010. This page is not design to throw a damp cloth on Hashing in Victoria, but is here only to provide some sober guidance.

Currently police can only issue 24 hour road-side suspension. As of this fall police will no long be requires to take drivers to their station or detachment for additional testing, but will be able to test at the roadside. 

Here are the full penalies in the Province of BC as of this fall. 

 The following article explains the situation.

Vancouver Sun: Drinking-and-driving rules get stricter in B.C: Two glasses of wine in two hours could put you over
(By Jonathan Fowlie, Vancouver Sun, April 28, 2010)

Impaired Driving - Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles - Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
(BC Government Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Website)

B.C. INTRODUCES CANADA’S TOUGHEST IMPAIRED DRIVING LAWS
(BC Government News Release; Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, April 27, 2010)

Estimated BAC Levels Based on Consumption

1. NUMBER OF DRINKS:


2. WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING?


3. HOW MUCH DO YOU WEIGH?:


4. HOW MANY HOURS HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING?


RESULT:
 —YOUR BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT...
BAC %: (THEORETICAL)
Analysis:

Important Note:

There is no blood alcohol calculator that is 100% accurate because of the number of factors that come into play regarding the consumption and reduction (burnoff) rates of different people.  Factors include the gender (male/female) of the drinker, differing metabolism rates, various health issues and the combination of medications that might be taken, drinking frequency, amount of food in the stomach and small intestine and when it was eaten, elapsed time, and others. The best that can be done is a rough estimation of the BAC level based on known inputs.

Disclaimer: This is in no way purported to be a guideline for how much you can drink and still drive or avoid being penalized!

If your weight or beverage options are not shown on this calculator, for more accurate calculations, or if you are unsure about the calculation being used, here are two other calculators (just click on the image):

This site include Sex (Male and Female) entries, and indicates the
penalty in terms of Ontario laws which are similar to BC's.

This calculator calculates in half-hour intervals. It is also an 
international calculator, just incase you want to see how a 
standard drink varies between countries.

If you get pulled over ...

The Canadian Bar Association Drinking and Driving page gives 
general information only, not legal advice. It does however provide
useful information if the police stop you, such a 'things you don’t 
have to do', and a 'summary of what you must do'.

The original source of the this calculator comes from University of Oklahoma Police Department

Q & A

Will coffee sober you up?
 No, it will only increase your discomfort through the need to use the bathroom. Only time reverses impairment.


Will eating breath mints after drinking fool a police 'breath test'?
 No, eating mints will not effect your BAC level. If an officer notices your breath is minty, they may pay more attention to you.

Will certain foods keep you sober?
 How much you have eaten, and how recently, may have a small effect on how quickly or slowly alcohol will enter the bloodstream, but it doesn't stop it. 

Will splashing cold water on my face or taking a cold shower help sober me up?

No,but it may make you cleaner.

Will exercise sober me up?

No, but the police prefer that you shower before you are put into the squad car! Only time reverses impairment. Do sweet mixed drinks have less alcohol?

Party-goer, beware. Fruit juices have the ability to mask the taste of alcohol. A fruit "punch" can contain a substantial amount of alcohol without the taste of the alcohol being noticed — but it will make you just as drunk as alcohol which you can taste in another kind of drink. A mild-tasting cup of punch at a party may contain more alcohol than any normal drink you would buy at a bar.

Here are two sex-weighted charts for an alternate method of calculating an approximate BAC level...

ALCOHOL IMPAIRMENT CHART
Males

APPROXIMATE BLOOD ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE

Drinks
*
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS

EFFECT ON PERSON
  100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240  
0
 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00
ONLY SAFE DRIVING LIMIT
1
 .04 .03 .03 .02 .02 .02 .02 .02
IMPAIRMENT BEGINS.
2
 .08 .06 .05 .05 .04 .04 .03 .03
3
 .11 .09 .08 .07 .06 .06 .05 .05
DRIVING SKILLS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED.
4
 .15 .12 .11 .09 .08 .08 .07 .06
5
 .19 .16 .13 .12 .11 .09 .09 .08

LEGALLY INTOXICATED.


CRIMINAL PENALTIES IN ALL PROVINCES AND STATES
6
 .23 .19 .16 .14 .13 .11 .10 .09
7
 .26 .22 .19 .16 .15 .13 .12 .11
8
 .30 .25 .21 .19 .17 .15 .14 .13
9
 .34 .28 .24 .21 .19 .17 .15 .14
10
 .38 .31 .27 .23 .21 .19 .17 .16
Subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking.
* One drink is equal to 1¼ oz. of 80-proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 4 oz. of table wine.

Females

APPROXIMATE BLOOD ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE
Drinks
*
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS

EFFECT ON PERSON
  90 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240  
0
 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00
ONLY SAFE DRIVING LIMIT
1
 .05 .05 .04 .03 .03 .03 .02 .02 .02
IMPAIRMENT BEGINS.
2
 .10 .09 .08 .07 .06 .05 .05 .04 .04
DRIVING SKILLS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED.
3
 .15 .14 .11 .11 .09 .08 .07 .06 .06
4
 .20 .18 .15 .13 .11 .10 .09 .08 .08
LEGALLY INTOXICATED.

CRIMINAL PENALTIES IN ALL PROVINCES AND STATES
5
 .25 .23 .19 .16 .14 .13 .11 .10 .09
6
 .30 .27 .23 .19 .17 .15 .14 .12 .11
7
 .35 .32 .27 .23 .20 .18 .16 .14 .13
8
 .40 .36 .30 .26 .23 .20 .18 .17 .15
9
.45 .41 .34 .29 .26 .23 .20 .19 .17
10
.51 .45 .38 .32 .28 .25 .23 .21 .19
Subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking.
* One drink is equal to 1¼ oz. of 80-proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 4 oz. of table wine.

 Click HERE for a printable copy of the two Alcohol Impairment Charts (above) in Adobe .PDF format.

Effects of Alcohol at Specific BAC Levels

 The effects of alcohol intoxication are greatly influenced by individual variations; some users may become intoxicated at a much lower BAC level than is indicated (below)...
  0.02 — 0.03 BAC No loss of coordination, slight euphoria and loss of shyness. Depressant effects are not apparent. Mildly relaxed and maybe a little lightheaded.  
  0.04 — 0.06 BAC Feeling of well-being, relaxation, lower inhibitions, sensation of warmth. Euphoria. Some minor impairment of reasoning and memory, lowering of caution. Your behavior may become exaggerated and emotions intensified (Good emotions are better, bad emotions are worse). In BC .05 is legally impaired and it is illegal to drive at this level.  
  0.07 — 0.09 BAC Slight impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing. Euphoria. Judgment and self-control are reduced, and caution, reason and memory are impaired. You will probably believe that you are functioning better than you really are. In most provinces and some states .08 is legally impaired and it is illegal to drive at this level.  
  0.10 — 0.125 BAC Significant impairment of motor coordination and loss of good judgment. Speech may be slurred; balance, vision, reaction time and hearing will be impaired. Euphoria.  
  0.13 — 0.15 BAC Gross motor impairment and lack of physical control. Blurred vision and major loss of balance. Euphoria is reduced and dysphoria* is beginning to appear. Judgment and perception are severely impaired.
( * —Dysphoria: An emotional state of anxiety, depression, or unease.) 		 
  0.16 — 0.19 BAC Dysphoria predominates, nausea may appear. The drinker has the appearance of a "sloppy drunk."  
  0.20 BAC Feeling dazed/confused or otherwise disoriented. May need help to stand/walk. If you injure yourself you may not feel the pain. Some people have nausea and vomiting at this level. The gag reflex is impaired and you can choke if you do vomit. Blackouts are likely at this level so you may not remember what has happened.  
  0.25 BAC All mental, physical and sensory functions are severely impaired. Increased risk of asphyxiation from choking on vomit and of seriously injuring yourself by falls or other accidents.  
  0.30 BAC Stupor. You have little comprehension of where you are. You may pass out suddenly and be difficult to awaken.  
  0.35 BAC Coma is possible. This is the level of surgical anesthesia.  
  .40 BAC and up Onset of coma, and possible death due to respiratory arrest.  

 

Get The Keys:
How You Can Intervene

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and The Advertising Council's Innocent Victims public service campaign emphasizes the need to intervene and get the keys away from someone about to drive drunk.

Here are some helpful tips and advice from focus group research on how people can get the keys away from a drunk driver:
1. If it is a close friend, try and use a soft, calm approach at first. Suggest to them that they’ve had too much to drink and it would be better if someone else drove or if they took a cab.
 
2. Be calm. Joke about it. Make light of it.
 
3. Try to make it sound like you are doing them a favour.
 
4. If it is somebody you don’t know well, speak to their friends and have them make an attempt to persuade them to hand over the keys. Usually they will listen.
 
5. If it’s a good friend, spouse, or significant other, tell them that if they insist on driving, you are not going with them. Suggest that you will call someone else for a ride, take a cab, or walk.
 
6. Locate their keys while they are preoccupied and take them away. Most likely, they will think they’ve lost them and will be forced to find another mode of transportation.
 
7. If possible, avoid embarrassing the person or being confrontational, particularly when dealing with men. This makes them appear vulnerable to alcohol and its effects.