Perhaps you are attending Mercer University, in which case you probably get together with your buddies at parties and other extracurricular events where alcohol is served. As a college student, you may think driving is not a problem if you have only consumed a few beers. Maybe this is a good time to learn more about the effects of alcohol on you, personally, and whether you should drive after enjoying those beers.
Just one drink
Did you know there is a link between your weight and the way your system responds to drinking? If you weigh 150 pounds and have one standard drink, your blood alcohol concentration level will be 0.03 percent. Your BAC will drop to 0.01 if you consume that drink over an hour’s time. If you weigh 200 pounds, your BAC level will be 0.02 percent, and if you stretch that drink out for an hour, your BAC will go down to 0.003 percent. At either weight, it will take two hours for your BAC to go to 0.00 percent.
Two or more
On average, having two standard drinks will bring your BAC level to about 0.04 percent. You will probably feel relaxed and in control, but if you are thinking about driving, your reaction times will be slower and your motor skills not as sharp as they should be. Three standard drinks will produce an average BAC of 0.06 percent. At this point, your judgment and ability to make reasonable decisions will be impaired, and it will take four to five hours to get back to a BAC of 0.00 percent, depending on how much you weigh.
Making a decision
A criminal defense attorney will tell you that a DUI conviction can have long-lasting, negative effects on your college education as well as the career you had hoped for. When it comes to a decision as to whether you should drink and drive—or indeed, whether you should drink at all—consider the facts about how alcohol is absorbed into your system. You know what they say, “knowledge is power,” and this kind of knowledge might just protect your future and possibly save your life.