There are many reasons to enjoy going out for a drink with your friends. You may have something to celebrate, or it may be time to decompress after a stressful week.
While you may have a plan to limit the number of drinks while you are out, counting drinks may not be a reliable way to determine if it is safe to drive. The legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit in Missouri is 0.08, but do you know when you have had too much?
Paying guessing games with how many drinks you can have can be dangerous; here’s what you should know about estimating your alcohol content.
A drink is a drink, right?
You may have seen the graphics that illustrate how much of different types of drinks you should consider “one drink.” However, there are many factors when you are trying to estimate the impact one drink will have on your BAC, such as:
- Height
- Weight
- Muscle mass vs. fat content
- Medications
- Food and water intake
- Alcohol tolerance
You may have a friend who can seem fine after a few drinks, but you may metabolize alcohol differently, causing you to reach 0.08 BAC much faster.
It depends on who pours
One of the fun parts of sitting at the bar is watching a bartender who enjoys what they do as they pour drinks with a toss and a splash. While you watch, you may wonder how they pour consistent drinks.
The secret is that they often don’t pour consistent drinks, and these inconsistencies can add up. For example, 1.5 fluid ounces of vodka is considered one standard drink. However, if the bartender (or the person pouring drinks at your friend’s house) pours too much into your drink, your drink could start to have the effect of one and a half drinks.
The guidelines for how many drinks will get you to 0.08 are vague and should not be used to gauge how much to consume while you are out. Instead, you should find a sober ride home so you can avoid a costly consequence.
