Alcohol, How It Affects Your Body and A Possible DUI
Sept. 10, 2019
As a college student, you enjoy parties and other campus functions with your friends. You may feel that driving is no problem after you have a couple of beers, and the younger you are, the stronger this belief.
How would you feel if you knew how alcohol affects you?
About Your BAC
Your blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, is the determining factor in your level of intoxication. If stopped on suspicion of drunk driving, a law enforcement officer may ask you to take a breath test to measure your BAC. The outcome depends on several factors, including your gender, your body weight, and how quickly you recently consumed alcoholic drinks.
Standard Drink Totals
A man who weighs 150 pounds and consumes two standard drinks will have a BAC of 0.05%. However, if he drinks them over two hours, his BAC will be 0.02%. It will take another two hours for his system to return to 0.00%. A man weighing 200 pounds who has three drinks that he consumes in one hour will have a BAC of 0.04%, but it will take four hours for his system to return to 0.00%.
The Effects
On the whole, the effects of alcohol will start to become apparent after the consumption of three drinks. At this point, a driver impaired by alcohol will find it hard to make decisions, which could be devastating if an emergency arises. Alcohol will affect his level of alertness, slow his reflexes, and blur his vision.
Thinking Ahead
It would be a good idea for an average-sized man to drink slowly and wait for another three to four hours after imbibing alcohol to start driving. As a college student, you should remember that the penalties in Ohio for a DUI conviction are harsh and include driver's license suspension, heavy fines, special license plates, mandatory alcohol treatment, and the possibility of jail time. Considering the consequences, the best idea, of course, is not to drink and drive at all.