Understanding Blood Alcohol Content
BAC measures how much alcohol is in your blood. It's affected by how much you drink, your weight, gender, and time.
Important: This is an estimate only. Individual metabolism varies. Never drink and drive.
BAC Impairment Levels
- 0.02-0.03%: Slight relaxation, mild mood changes
- 0.05-0.06%: Lowered inhibitions, impaired judgment
- 0.08%: Legal limit - impaired coordination, reaction time
- 0.10-0.12%: Significant impairment, slurred speech
- 0.15%+: Major impairment, risk of blackout
Standard Drink Sizes
- 12 oz regular beer (5% alcohol)
- 5 oz wine (12% alcohol)
- 1.5 oz spirits (40% alcohol)
- 8-9 oz malt liquor (7% alcohol)
Factors Affecting BAC
- Body weight: Lower weight means higher BAC from the same number of drinks — alcohol is distributed through body water
- Biological sex: Women typically reach higher BAC from the same drinks due to lower body water percentage and different enzyme levels
- Food: Eating before or while drinking slows absorption significantly. A full stomach can reduce peak BAC by up to 50%
- Drinking speed: Faster consumption produces higher peak BAC. The body eliminates alcohol at a fixed rate (~0.015%/hour) regardless of how much you consume
- Drink strength: Craft beers (7-12% ABV), strong cocktails, and wines vary widely from standard drink assumptions
How Long to Sober Up
The body metabolizes approximately 0.015% BAC per hour — roughly one standard drink per hour. There is no way to speed this up. Coffee, cold showers, and food do not lower BAC faster; only time works.
- BAC of 0.08% → approximately 5.3 hours to reach 0.00%
- BAC of 0.12% → approximately 8 hours to reach 0.00%
- BAC of 0.15% → approximately 10 hours to reach 0.00%
These are estimates. Sleep does not accelerate metabolism — you can still be legally impaired the morning after heavy drinking.