You put in those hours at the gym so that you could drop weight before the summer beach season. And it worked. Now you’re in the best shape of your life, and people comment on how much smaller you look.
It sounds like there wouldn’t be a downside to this type of transformation, but there is one thing you need to keep in mind: Your DWI risks could be higher than they were a year ago.
The link between weight and BAC
There is a clear link between weight and Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). The smaller a person is, the greater their BAC tends to be after the same number of drinks.
For instance, say a man weighs just 100 pounds. If he had three drinks in an hour, it is estimated that his BAC would be 0.12, which is over the legal limit.
If another man weighed 200 pounds, he could also get to 0.12 in an hour, but it would take him six drinks to do it. He would need twice as much alcohol.
By this logic, if you’re used to drinking at your former weight and you know what your limits are, you may find that everything has changed after your weight loss. This could lead to mistakes where you think it’s fine to drive but you are actually at or over that legal limit.
The reason for your weight loss may also play a role. For instance, those who have gastric bypass surgery not only lose a lot of weight quickly, but give the alcohol less time to break down. It has been compared to drinking without eating, and it can cause your BAC to spike dramatically. If you had this procedure done, you really need to understand how alcohol is going to hit you moving forward.
What if you get a DWI this year?
You’re thrilled with your weight loss, but what if it leads to a drunk driving arrest? It could change your life in ways you never expected. You must know about all of the defense options you have with these DWI allegations.
