by Zayed Al-Sayyed

Arizona DUI AttorneyDecember 26, 20230 comments

How Many Drinks is 0.08 Alcohol Level?

All states, including Arizona, have established the legal alcohol limit at a BAC of 0.08 in an attempt to prevent injuries, death, and property damage stemming from impaired driving. Unless you keep a breathalyzer on you at all times, it can be difficult to know when you’ve exceeded the legal limit.

Getting pulled over for impaired driving, or worse, causing an accident, can leave you in a tough position with lawsuits and jail time on the table. This makes it important to understand the basics of BAC, its importance, how drinks influence BAC, and potential side effects.

If you do find yourself on the hook for impaired driving, it’s important that you reach out to a qualified attorney right away to minimize financial and behavioral penalties.

What is BAC?

Blood alcohol concentration, known as BAC, is a measurement of how much alcohol is in your bloodstream. BAC is calculated as a ratio of ethyl alcohol per 100 mm of blood. This means if you have a BAC of 0.05, you have 0.05 grams of alcohol for every 100 mm of blood.

Why is BAC Important?

BAC is important to determine when you shouldn’t operate a vehicle and it’s time to call a taxi or Uber. The general rule of thumb is that it takes your body one hour to process a standard alcoholic drink. If you consume more than one drink in an hour, you can have high concentrations of alcohol in your system, which makes it more difficult for your liver to metabolize.

Alcoholic drinks impact each person differently and can depend on various factors, like weight, size, height, health history, and more. However, assessing your BAC eliminates the need to evaluate these subjective factors and gives you concrete information on your level of impairment.

How Do Drinks Influence BAC?

The types of drinks you consume can impact your BAC differently. For example, a seltzer or beer might not have as profound of an impact compared to a shot of hard liquor. For each drink you consume, you can expect your BAC to go up around 0.02, meaning you reach the legal BAC limit after four drinks. If you have a smaller frame or process alcohol slower, your drink count can be further limited.

What are the Side Effects of BAC?

The higher your BAC, the more side-effects you can expect. Common physical effects of BAC include delayed muscle coordination, altered judgment, lower self-control, less reasoning, and memory loss. These physical side effects can come into play well before you reach the legal BAC of 0.08, making it important to understand how your body reacts to alcohol.

Summary

Analyzing your impairment levels can be subjective, which is why BAC is widely used as a tool of enforcement. If you do find yourself in trouble in Arizona for exceeding the legal BAC, it’s essential that you contact an attorney right away.

Impaired driving in Arizona can be a serious crime, which is why you need the right team advocating on your behalf. Reach out to our team at The Law Office of Zayed Al-Sayyed today to set up your consultation.