Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

BAC refers to the percent of alcohol in a person's blood stream. A BAC of .10% means that an individual's blood supply contains one part alcohol for every 1000 parts blood.

In Texas, a person is legally intoxicated if they have a BAC of .08% or higher.

Factors that determine BAC

• Number of standard drinks (see below)
• Amount of time in which drinks are consumed
• Body weight
• Sex
• Race/Ethnicity
• Medications
• Food (to lesser extent)

One standard drink:

• One 12 oz. regular beer (4.5% alcohol)
• One 7 oz. malt liquor (7% alcohol)
• One 4.5 oz. glass of wine (12% alcohol)
• One-third jigger (.5 oz.) of Everclear (95% alcohol)

More than one standard drink:

• One 16 oz. cup of beer = 1.4 drinks
• One 40 oz. beer = 3.6 drinks
• One 22 oz. malt liquor = 3 drinks
• One 12 oz. glass of wine = 2.9 drinks
• One 12 oz. margarita = 2-4 drinks, depending on ingredients
• One 12 oz. cup of trashcan punch = 4-10 drinks, depending on ingredients

Virtual Bar

The Virtual Bar is an interactive program, developed by The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility in collaboration with the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, to educate the user about how alcohol consumption affects an individual's Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).

Helpful Links

Programs and Classes