People often have a misconception of how many drinks it takes to put them over the legal limit. While many factors can effect a how alcohol will be metabolized by each individual, the University of Oklahoma Police Department has included a Blood Alcohol Calculator on their web page.
If you’ve been planning to discuss alcohol use with your teens then you might want to used this tool to illustrate how quickly alcohol can impair one's judgment. As is stated on the website the best policy is never to drink and drive, but the BAC and the related information included on this site can help teachers and parents illustrate some of the risks of drinking and driving.
Start by choosing the number of drinks your or your the test subject has had or intends to have, then select the drink of choice. The pull down menu offers a large selection of common drinks to choose from, including everything from light beer to Whiskey Sour to Irish Coffee.
Next choose your weight. Remember weight is one of the most important factors in calculating blood alcohol, so be sure enter the correct weight. Unless you're only a few pounds shy of the upper number, it’s best to round down when selecting your weight from the menu.
Then select how many hours you’ve been drinking. Your approximate blood alcohol content will be displayed in the BAC box. As you change the information about the amount of drinks, number of hours or the type of drink consumed, the number displayed in the BAC box will change as will the information in the analysis box. Scroll down the page for a list of BAC ranges, along with details about the effects and level of impairment most people experience at each level.
Also included is a printable Not Sure If You’ve Had Too Many? Poster and printable alcohol impairment charts for both male and females.
Remember this tool will only give you a general idea of what your blood alcohol content might be under certain circumstances. It is only to be used as a guide. Be sure to read the disclaimers on the site.
Additional information about the dangers of drinking and driving can also be found at MADD.org
