* The amount of alcohol consumed. Alcohol is alcohol. Weather you drink a "shot" of whiskey, glass of wine or a bottle of beer, your BAC will rise. You will became just as intoxicated no matter which alcoholic beverage you choose to drink.

* The amount of time which you the alcohol was consumed. The faster you drink the faster your BAC will rise. For example, your BAC rises faster if you have three drinks in 1 hour than if you have three drinks in 3 hours.

* The amount of food in your stomach. Some people falsely claim that " you cannot get drunk on a full stomach." In fact, food in your stomach will only slightly slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

* Your body weight. A small person will be more affected by the same amount of alcohol than a larger person, who has more fluids in his or her body to dilute the alcohol..

* Weather the alcohol is mixsd with a carbonated beverage. If alcohol is mixed with a carbonated beverage, it will enter the bloodstream faster and your BAC will rise faster.

* Whether you are a man or a woman.  Men have a higher tolerance to alcohol than women because thier body contains a higher percentage of water, which helps dilute the alcohol.
 

Myths About Alcohol

* I can burn off alcohol with strenuous activity.  Only time will reduce the effects of alcohol. The sweat glands only release a small amount of alcohol during strenuous activity.

* I can sober up by drinking black coffee or taking a cold shower.  The stimulation of black coffee or a cold shower cannot reduce BAC. The person might seem more alert after coffee or a shower but the BAC is not reduced.

* I will not be affected because I am only drinking beer.  A 12-ounce bottle or can of beer contains as much alcohol as an average cocktail.

* Alcohol will not affect me because I have built up a tolerance to it. Even before a person's BAC levels reaches .08 percent, that person is intoxicated and cannot expect to be able to drive safely.

* I can drive better after a few drinks.  This mistaken reasoning might occur after a person has been driking, and judgement and reasoning are already affected.

* A young person cannot become a problem drinker.  Some young people have become problem drinkers even though most of their drinking is done on weekends.

Your BAC determines you level of intoxication.
This table will help you determine how many drinks you can have before are intoxocated.