by Lisa Frederiksen
December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month so I thought I’d share a few entries from the California Department of Motor Vehicles Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) chart to raise awareness about just how little it takes to get a DUI (DWI). These BAC entries are based on weight, time since your first standard drink and number of standard drinks consumed.
Remember: not all drinks are alike. A standard drink is either: 
- 12 ounces of regular beer or
- 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor (such as vodka or scotch) or
- 5 ounces of table.
So, “drinks” served at parties, bars or restaurants can easily contain more than one standard drink. A margarita, for example, can contain 2-3 standard drinks, meaning 2-3 shots of 80-proof liquor. A bottle of table wine contains 5.
Quoting from the CA DMV BAC chart:
If you weigh between 110 and 129 pounds and it has been 1 hour or less since your first drink and you consume 2 or more drinks, your BAC is probably .08% or higher.
If you weigh between 130 and 149 pounds and it has been 2 hours or less since your first drink and you consume 3 or more drinks, your BAC is probably .08% or higher.
If you weigh between 170 and 189 pounds and it has been 2 hours or less since your first drink and you consume 4 or more drinks, your BAC is probably .08% or higher.
Now, one might ask, I thought “safe” or “moderate” drinking limits were:
For women: no more than 7 in a week nor 3 of those 7 in a day
For men: no more than 14 in a week nor 4 of those 14 in a day.
By these numbers, a man weighting 175 pounds, drinking 4 drinks in 2 hours is within these “safe” or “moderate” drinking limits. The same would be true for a woman weighting 135 pounds and drinking 3 drinks in two hours.
It is true– both would be within “safe” or “moderate” drinking limits. And what is “safe” about it is that he or she has likely not consumed more alcohol than their brains can handle so they are likely able to still “think” straight and act responsibly. And the responsible, thinking thing to do would be to say, “Here’s my keys. I’m not safe to drive.”
Happy holidays and be safe – designate a driver, call a cab or call a friend.
