What's your BAC?
Blood alcohol estimate using the Widmark formula
Medical Disclaimer: This tool provides general educational estimates. Always consult your prescribing physician or healthcare provider before making medication changes or interpreting results from population-based models.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your body metabolizes alcohol at ~0.015% BAC per hour. There is no way to speed this up. Coffee, food, and water do not lower BAC faster.
0.08% BAC is the legal limit in most US states. Some states have lower limits for commercial drivers (0.04%) and under-21 drivers (0.02% or zero tolerance).
For a 170 lb male: roughly 3-4 standard drinks in 1 hour. For a 130 lb female: roughly 2-3 drinks. Individual variation is significant.
The Widmark formula provides an estimate. Actual BAC varies with genetics, food intake, medications, liver health, and drinking speed. This should never be used to determine fitness to drive.
Sources
- Widmark EMP. Die theoretischen Grundlagen und die praktische Verwendbarkeit der gerichtlich-medizinischen Alkoholbestimmung. Berlin: Urban & Schwarzenberg; 1932.
- NIAAA. What Is A Standard Drink? Link
Methodology
Uses the Widmark formula: BAC = (alcohol grams / (body weight kg x r)) / 10 - (0.015 x hours) where r = 0.68 for males and 0.55 for females. One standard drink = 14 grams of alcohol. Metabolism rate averages 0.015% BAC per hour.
BAC is estimated using the Widmark formula. One standard drink (14g alcohol) raises BAC by roughly 0.02-0.03% for a 170 lb male. The body metabolizes ~0.015% BAC per hour. The legal limit is 0.08% in most US states. BAC above 0.30% is life-threatening.
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