There are many factors that affect your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) when you drink. Some of these include: a person's size, gender and physical condition; what they have had to eat; how much sleep they have had; what medications they are taking and, importantly, the actual alcohol content of their chosen "drink."
Size and gender difference are reflected in the following estimated charts:
BAC Chart for Men| Men | |||||||||
| Approximate Blood Alcohol Percentage | |||||||||
| Drinks | Body Weight in Pounds | ||||||||
| 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 240 | ||
| 0 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | Only Safe Driving Limit |
| 0 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | Only Safe Driving Limit |
| 1 | .04 | .03 | .03 | .02 | .02 | .02 | .02 | .02 | Driving Skills Significantly Affected Possible Criminal Penalties |
| 2 | .08 | .06 | .05 | .05 | .04 | .04 | .03 | .03 | |
| 3 | .11 | .09 | .08 | .07 | .06 | .06 | .05 | .05 | |
| 4 | .15 | .12 | .11 | .09 | .08 | .08 | .07 | .06 | |
| 5 | .19 | .16 | .13 | .12 | .11 | .09 | .09 | .08 | |
| 6 | .23 | .19 | .16 | .14 | .13 | .11 | .10 | .09 | Legally Intoxicated Criminal Penalties |
| 7 | .26 | .22 | .19 | .16 | .15 | .13 | .12 | .11 | |
| 8 | .30 | .25 | .21 | .19 | .17 | .15 | .14 | .13 | |
| 9 | .34 | .28 | .24 | .21 | .19 | .17 | .15 | .14 | |
| 10 | .38 | .31 | .27 | .23 | .21 | .19 | .17 | .16 | Death Possible |
| Subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking. One drink is 1.25 oz. of 80 proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 5 oz. of table wine. | |||||||||
BAC Chart for Women
| Women | ||||||||||
| Approximate Blood Alcohol Percentage | ||||||||||
| Drinks | Body Weight in Pounds | |||||||||
| 90 | 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 240 | ||
| 0 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | Only Safe Driving Limit |
| 0 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | .00 | Only Safe Driving Limit |
| 1 | .05 | .05 | .04 | .03 | .03 | .03 | .02 | .02 | .02 | Driving Skills Significantly Affected Possible Criminal Penalties |
| 2 | .10 | .09 | .08 | .07 | .06 | .05 | .05 | .04 | .04 | |
| 3 | .15 | .14 | .11 | .10 | .09 | .08 | .07 | .06 | .06 | |
| 4 | .20 | .18 | .15 | .13 | .11 | .10 | .09 | .08 | .08 | |
| 5 | .25 | .23 | .19 | .16 | .14 | .13 | .11 | .10 | .09 | |
| 6 | .30 | .27 | .23 | .19 | .17 | .15 | .14 | .12 | .11 | Legally Intoxicated Criminal Penalties |
| 7 | .35 | .32 | .27 | .23 | .20 | .18 | .16 | .14 | .13 | |
| 8 | .40 | .36 | .30 | .26 | .23 | .20 | .18 | .17 | .15 | |
| 9 | .45 | .41 | .34 | .29 | .26 | .23 | .20 | .19 | .17 | |
| 10 | .51 | .45 | .38 | .32 | .28 | .25 | .23 | .21 | .19 | Death Possible |
| Subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking. One drink is 1.25 oz. of 80 proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 5 oz. of table wine. | ||||||||||
Blood Alcohol Content Drink Driving Limits By Country
Lower blood alcohol limits may apply in some countries for professional drivers, inexperienced drivers or operators of heavy vehicles.
| Country | BAC (%) | Country | BAC (%) | |
| Afghanistan | 0.00 | Luxembourg | 0.08 | |
| Albania | 0.01 | Macau | 0.05 | |
| Algeria | 0.01 | Macedonia | 0.05 | |
| American Samoa | 0.08 | Madagascar | ? | |
| Angola | No Limit | Malawi | 0.08 | |
| Anguilla | No Limit | Malaysia | 0.08 | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 0.08 | Maldives | 0.00 | |
| Argentina | 0.05 | Mali | 0.00 | |
| Armenia | 0.00 | Malta | 0.08 | |
| Aruba | 0.05 | Manitoba | 0.05 | |
| Australia | 0.05 | Mariana Islands | 0.08 | |
| Austria | 0.05 | Marshall Islands | ? | |
| Azerbaijan | 0.00 | Martinique | 0.05 | |
| Bahamas | 0.08 | Mauritania | ? | |
| Bahrain | 0.00 | Mauritius | 0.05 | |
| Bangladesh | 0.00 | Mayotte | 0.05 | |
| Barbados | 0.08 | Mexico | 0.08 | |
| Belarus | 0.04 | Micronesia | 0.05 | |
| Belgium | 0.05 | Midway Islands | 0.08 | |
| Belize | 0.08 | Moldova | 0.03 | |
| Benin | 0.05 | Monaco | 0.05 | |
| Bermuda | 0.08 | Mongolia | 0.02 | |
| Bhutan | No Limit | Montenegro | 0.05 | |
| Bolivia | 0.07 | Montserrat | 0.08 | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.05 | Morocco | 0.00 | |
| Botswana | 0.08 | Mozambique | 0.02 | |
| Bouvet Island | 0.02 | Namibia | 0.05 | |
| Brazil | 0.00 | Nauru | ? | |
| British Virgin Islands | 0.08 | Navassa Island | 0.08 | |
| Brunei | 0.00 | Nepal | 0.00 | |
| Bulgaria | 0.05 | Netherlands | 0.05 | |
| Burkina Faso | No Limit | Netherlands Antilles | 0.05 | |
| Burma (Myanmar) | ? | New Caledonia | 0.05 | |
| Burundi | 0.10 | New Zealand | 0.08 | |
| Cambodia | 0.05 | Nicaragua | 0.08 | |
| Cameroon | ? | Niger | 0.08 | |
| Canada | 0.08 | Nigeria | 0.00 | |
| Cape Verde | 0.08 | Niue | ? | |
| Cayman Islands | 0.10 | Norfolk Island | 0.05 | |
| Chad | ? | North Korea | 0.05 | |
| Chile | 0.05 | Norway | 0.02 | |
| China | 0.02 | Oman | 0.00 | |
| Christmas Island | 0.05 | Pakistan | 0.00 | |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 0.05 | Palau | 0.01 | |
| Colombia | ? | Panama | 0.00 | |
| Comoros | No Limit | Papua New Guinea | 0.08 | |
| Cook Islands | 0.08 | Paraguay | 0.08 | |
| Costa Rica | 0.05 | Peru | 0.05 | |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 0.08 | Philippines | 0.05 | |
| Croatia | 0.05 | Pitcairn Islands | 0.08 | |
| Cuba | 0.00 | Poland | 0.02 | |
| Cyprus | 0.05 | Portugal | 0.05 | |
| Czech Republic | 0.00 | Puerto Rico | 0.08 | |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | No Limit | Qatar | 0.00 | |
| Denmark | 0.05 | Reunion | 0.05 | |
| Djibouti | ? | Romania | 0.00 | |
| Dominican Republic | No Limit | Russia | 0.03 | |
| East Timor | ? | Rwanda | ? | |
| Ecuador | 0.07 | Saint Barthelemy | 0.05 | |
| Egypt | 0.05 | Saint Helena | 0.08 | |
| El Salvador | 0.05 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0.08 | |
| Equatorial Guinea | 0.00 | Saint Lucia | 0.08 | |
| Eritrea | 0.00 | Saint Martin | 0.05 | |
| Estonia | 0.02 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 0.05 | |
| Ethiopia | No Limit | Saint Vincent | 0.08 | |
| Falkland Islands | 0.08 | Samoa | 0.08 | |
| Faroe Islands | 0.05 | San Marino | 0.08 | |
| Fiji | 0.08 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 0.05 | |
| Finland | 0.05 | Saudi Arabia | 0.00 | |
| France | 0.05 | Senegal | ? | |
| French Guiana | 0.05 | Serbia | 0.05 | |
| French Polynesia | 0.05 | Seychelles | 0.08 | |
| Gabon | No Limit | Sierra Leone | ? | |
| Gambia | 0.00 | Singapore | 0.08 | |
| Georgia | 0.03 | Slovakia | 0.00 | |
| Germany | 0.05 | Slovenia | 0.05 | |
| Ghana | 0.08 | Solomon Islands | 0.08 | |
| Gibraltar | 0.05 | Somalia | ? | |
| Greece | 0.05 | South Africa | 0.05 | |
| Greenland | 0.05 | South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 0.08 | |
| Grenada | 0.08 | South Korea | 0.05 | |
| Guadeloupe | 0.05 | Spain | 0.05 | |
| Guam | 0.08 | Sri Lanka | 0.08 | |
| Guatemala | 0.08 | Sudan | 0.02 | |
| Guernsey | 0.08 | Suriname | 0.08 | |
| Guinea | 0.00 | Swaziland | 0.08 | |
| Guinea-Bissau | 0.05 | Sweden | 0.02 | |
| Guyana | 0.01 | Switzerland | 0.05 | |
| Haiti | ? | Syria | ? | |
| Holland | 0.05 | Taiwan | 0.05 | |
| Honduras | 0.07 | Tajikistan | 0.00 | |
| Hong Kong | 0.05 | Tanzania | 0.08 | |
| Hungary | 0.00 | Thailand | 0.05 | |
| Iceland | 0.05 | The Congo | No Limit | |
| India | 0.03 | Togo | No Limit | |
| Indonesia | 0.00 | Tokelau | 0.08 | |
| Iran | 0.00 | Tonga | 0.08 | |
| Iraq | 0.00 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.08 | |
| Ireland | 0.08 | Tunisia | 0.00 | |
| Isle of Man | 0.08 | Turkey | 0.05 | |
| Israel | 0.05 | Turkmenistan | 0.03 | |
| Italy | 0.05 | Turks and Caicos | 0.08 | |
| Jamaica | 0.04 | Tuvalu | 0.08 | |
| Japan | 0.00 | Uganda | 0.08 | |
| Jersey | 0.08 | Ukraine | 0.00 | |
| Jordan | 0.00 | United Arab Emirates | 0.00 | |
| Kazakhstan | 0.00 | United Kingdom | 0.08 | |
| Kenya | 0.08 | United States | 0.08 | |
| Kiribati | No Limit | Uruguay | 0.03 | |
| Kosovo | 0.05 | Uzbekistan | 0.00 | |
| Kuwait | 0.00 | Vanuatu | No Limit | |
| Kyrgyzstan | 0.05 | Venezuela | 0.05 | |
| Laos | No Limit | Vietnam | 0.08 | |
| Latvia | 0.05 | Virgin Islands | 0.08 | |
| Lebanon | 0.08 | Wallis and Futuna | 0.05 | |
| Lesotho | 0.10 | Yemen | 0.00 | |
| Liberia | 0.08 | Yugoslavia | 0.05 | |
| Libya | 0.00 | Zambia | 0.08 | |
| Liechtenstein | 0.08 | Zimbabwe | 0.08 | |
| Lithuania | 0.04 |
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