What is Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)?

Blood alcohol content (BAC), also known as a blood alcohol level, is the amount of alcohol in your blood. Alcohol is the intoxicating ingredient found in beer, wine and liquor. When you drink a beverage that contains alcohol, your stomach and small intestines rapidly absorb the alcohol and enter it into your bloodstream. Alcohol is a toxin to your body, so your liver then metabolizes the alcohol to filter it out of your blood.

If you are drinking faster than your liver can process the alcohol, your BAC increases and you may feel the effects of intoxication. In general, your liver can process about one alcohol-containing drink per hour. One drink is typically defined as 355 ml of beer, 148 ml of wine or 45 ml of liquor. However, different beers and wines can contain different percentages of alcohol. The amount of alcohol in your blood can vary based on several factors including:

• The amount of alcohol you are drinking.
• How quickly you are drinking.
• How much food you ate before drinking.
• Your age and weight.

In India the legal limit of alcohol consumption for driving is 30 mg. per 100 ml of blood i.e., 0.03% per 100 ml.