If you drive while under the influence of alcohol and get arrested, you could face serious consequences. These can include the loss of your driving privileges, the requirement to spend time in jail and the requirement to pay a large fine.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, Missouri and all other states in the U.S. except Utah define drunk driving as operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content level at 0.08% or higher. But it can be difficult to know exactly what your BAC level is after drinking alcohol since so many factors affect it.
How quickly you drink
The faster you consume alcohol, the faster your BAC level will rise. For most people, the liver can process approximately one alcoholic beverage per hour.
Food in the stomach
If you have food in your stomach while drinking, it will travel to the bloodstream slower than if you had consumed alcohol on an empty stomach. This happens because food prevents alcohol from going directly to the small intestine, which is where most of the alcohol you consume enters the bloodstream.
Your age and gender
The older you are, the faster your BAC level will usually rise when you drink alcohol. Males also typically have lower BAC levels than women after consuming the same amount of alcohol.
There are many other factors that can affect how quickly your BAC level rises when you drink alcohol. Some of these include your age, your mood, any medications you take and your personal alcohol tolerance.