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What
is BAC, or Blood Alcohol Content?
When we speak about Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) we are
speaking about how much alcohol is in a person's blood.
It is measured as weight per unit of volume and often
is reported in a percentage, like 0.10% - one-tenth
of a percent of a person's blood is alcohol.
Perhaps
what you really need to know is that alcohol is a depressant
drug that slows down the central nervous system. Depending
on how much is consumed, it causes a decrease in motor
coordination, slows down reaction time, and impairs
intellectual performance.
The
Great Equation
Here’s a great equation to learn that shows how
excessive alcohol use can cause intellectual impairment.
You’ll need to know the following definitions: B
= Behavior, I = Intellect,
E = Emotion, ETOH = Alcohol. |
B
= I/E
Our
behavior is typically based on intellect and emotions,
and usually intellect overrides our emotions, or
keeps them in check so that we typically don’t
get in trouble by acting impulsively – for
example, we may feel like throwing food when we
sit down to eat, but our intellect (actually our
mother’s voice playing in our heads telling
us to behave appropriately) overrides this typical
urge. |
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B
+ ETOH = E/I
Now
we add alcohol to the equation. Alcohol is sometimes
known as liquid courage, and when consumed in
high-risk ways, allows emotions to override intellect.
This can lead people to do and say things they
normally wouldn’t say or do, like pull the
fire alarm, dance without a license, or sing off
key (For other humorous examples of E/I go to
The
Negative Effects of Alcohol). |
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B
+ ETOH /Time = I/E
Time
then becomes a factor. It takes the liver approximately
1-11⁄2 hours to process one drink. One "drink"
is considered 12 oz. of beer (5% alcohol), 5oz.
of wine (12% alcohol), or 1 shot or 1-1.5 oz. of
80 proof liquor (40% alcohol. After alcohol consumption
ceases, eventually I/E will rule again, but this
takes time, depending on how much one consumes.
When alcohol is consumed in high doses then there’s
the possibility that there won’t be either
emotion or intellect vying to rule the other as
the respiratory system slows down drastically and
can cause a coma or death. Binge
drinking can lead to such a condition, and it
can certainly lead to alcohol
poisoning. |
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