Driving under the influence is a charge that comes with severe consequences. If a member of law enforcement suspects you of driving under the influence of alcohol, they can administer a breath test. In Missouri, if that breath test comes back saying that your blood alcohol content is at 0.08% or above, an officer can charge you with a DUI offense.
What are some of the factors that affect your blood alcohol content?
Amount of time since your last drink
While it takes around an hour on average for most people to process a standard drink of alcohol, it takes much longer for alcohol to remove itself from the bloodstream. This means that even if it has been up to 12 hours since your last drink, you might still blow a positive breath test; however, it is unlikely to be as high as it would have been had it been only a couple of hours since your last drink.
Amount of food consumed prior to drinking
Whether or not you ate before starting to drink also influences blood alcohol content. Food slows down the rate that alcohol absorbs into the bloodstream, lowering your potential BAC.
Your body size
Body size and composition are two other factors that help differentiate what one person’s BAC is versus another person’s after drinking the same amount of alcohol. In general, smaller people can expect to have a higher BAC if they drink the same number of drinks as a larger person, with all other factors being equal.
If you are aware of the things that affect your BAC, you can make smarter decisions when it comes to getting behind the wheel.