Blood Alcohol
Results
A blood alcohol test measures the amount of alcohol (ethanol) in your body. Some states have no set limit for legal intoxication. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that all states set the legal definition of intoxication as the point when the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeds 0.08 (which is equivalent to 80 Reference mg/dL Opens New Window or 17 Reference mmol/L Opens New Window).
| Normal: |
No alcohol is found in the blood. |
|---|---|
| Abnormal: |
Any alcohol is found in the blood. |
Legal intoxication is defined as having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or greater. But the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for people under age 18 may be lower, such as 0.02.
Effects of drinking alcohol
Having any amount of alcohol in the blood can cause poor judgment and slowed reflexes. BAC and the effects of drinking alcohol vary from person to person and depend upon body weight, the amount of food eaten while drinking, and each person's ability to tolerate alcohol.
| Estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) | Observable effects | |
|---|---|---|
|
0.02 |
Relaxation, slight body warmth |
|
|
0.05 |
Sedation, slowed reaction time |
|
|
0.10 |
Slurred speech, poor coordination, slowed thinking |
|
|
0.20 |
Trouble walking, double vision, nausea, vomiting |
|
|
0.30 |
May pass out, tremors, memory loss, cool body temperature |
|
|
0.40 |
Trouble breathing, coma, possible death |
|
|
0.50 and greater |
Death |
|
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