Alcohol affects individuals differently. Blood alcohol concentration may be
affected by your:
Gender
Emotional state
Physical condition
Amount of food consumed
Any additional drugs or medication
Also, drinks may contain differing amounts of alcohol, so it's important to know
how much and the concentration of alcohol you consume. "One drink" is equal to:
12 oz beer or wine cooler
1 oz liquor (100 proof) or 1.25 oz liquor (80 proof)
8-9 oz malt liquor
5 oz table wine
3-4 oz fortified wine (sherry, port)
2 oz liqueur, cordial, aperitif
1.5 oz brandy
Do you know that a red party cup contains 16 oz and 1.33 drinks? A Long Island iced tea
contains 4-5 standard drinks!
A woman drinking an equal amount of alcohol in the same period of time as a man
of an equivalent weight will have a higher blood alcohol concentration than the
man.
In Michigan, you can be arrested/convicted of driving under the influence (DUI)
with any amount of alcohol in your system if you are driving badly. A blood alcohol
concentration of .08 or higher is always illegal. Michigan has a
"zero tolerance law:" If you are under 21, BAC as low as .02 can get you an
expensive "Minor in Possession" ticket. For more information, see
Choose to be Safe and Legal.
Stay in the Blue means keeping your BAC (blood alcohol concentration) at levels
that are much less likely to get you the things you don't want out of drinking, like hangovers,
black-outs, passing out, alcohol poisoning, etc.
To calculate your personal BAC, pick up a wallet-sized BAC card at UHS
Health Promotion and Community Relations (suite 2110, second floor) to use as a guide.
Use the BAC charts by estimating:
How long you plan to drink (number of hours)
The BAC you'd like to keep (at or under .06 to Stay in the Blue)
The pace of your drinking (the number of drinks for your weight and gender)
Another tool to help you Stay in the Blue is e-CHUG,
an online, personalized assessment that lets you see how your drinking, family risk and campus norms affect your
life and future.
Having trouble sticking to safe drinking levels? Try BASICS,
a brief alcohol assessment and education program that can help you moderate or abstain.
For more information about BAC or the Stay in the Blue campaign, contact Marsha Benz, UHS Health Educator, at 734-647-4656.
