QUESTION: Can we count on most people knowing that 0.08 is the illegal driving blood alcohol level in all 50 states?

ANSWER: USA Today completed a recent survey that included participants’ knowledge of driving knowledge, and amazingly, in my opinion, 63 percent could not identify the legal alcohol drinking limit as 0.08 blood alcohol content. The survey indicated that the average person relies on visual signs to gauge someone’s level of drunkenness: slurred speech, impaired coordination, and aggressive behaviors.

The facts are that our age, gender, weight, height, the amount of time between alcoholic drinks, the kind of food we eat and when we eat it all affect our blood alcohol level. For instance, if you are a 25 year male who weighs 180 pounds and is 5 foot, 11 inches tall, 15 minutes after one beer you would be likely to test at a .02 BAC. You would feel warm and relaxed, be experiencing slight euphoria and loss of shyness, but no loss of coordination. It would take you 1 hour and 25 minutes to reach a 0.00 BAC.

If the same male had five beers in three hours and 15 minutes, he would likely test at 0.08 BAC. His balance might be off, his speech slurred, his judgment and self-control reduced, his reasoning, ability to assess risk and his memory impaired. He would need to not drink alcohol for 7 hours and 35 minutes to be at a 0.00 BAC.

However, if the same male was eating significant amounts of protein and carbohydrates ( a hamburger and fries, cheese and crackers, peanuts) before drinking and between alcoholic drinks during a three hour drinking session, as well as alternating alcohol and pop, it is likely that his blood alcohol level could drop almost 50 percent.

If the same male drinks only six alcoholic drinks in three hours and 45 minutes, without eating or eating only fatty foods, he will believe he is functioning better than he is; he may be noisy and may engage in embarrassing behaviors. He will have a reduction in reaction time, which will put him and others at risk on the road if he drives. It will take nine hours before the alcohol is out of his system.

Please be alert to your own and your friends’ alcohol drinking patterns this New Year’s Eve. Keep yourself safe. Eat a good meal before you drink alcohol, alternate your alcoholic drinks with your favorite pop, keep eating protein and carbohydrates during the evening and, safest of all, plan for someone to drive who isn’t having more than one alcoholic drink in the evening.

 The Parenting Resource Center is the coordinating agency for the Mower County TZD (Toward Zero Deaths) Safe Roads Coalition, which focuses on education, enforcement, engineering and emergency response in traffic safety concerns of seat belt use, speed compliance, sober and alert driving. Check out free resources at the PRC Specialty Library (105 First Street SE, Austin) and www.familiesandcommunities.org