Green Zone

What is B.A.C. (Blood Alcohol Concentration)?

BAC is the amount of alcohol in your blood stream. It is recorded in milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, or milligrams percent. For example, a BAC of .10 means that 1/10 of 1 percent (or 1/1000) of your total blood content is alcohol. When you drink alcohol it goes directly from the stomach into the blood stream. This is why you typically feel the effects of alcohol quite quickly, especially if you haven’t eaten in a while. BAC depends on:

Body weight (Blood volume increases with weight)
The number of ounces of alcohol in each drink
Time spent drinking

What are B.A.C. Zones™?

The following list explains the use of "ZONES" on our BACZONE™ Cards. Each zone represents effects that would normally be expected to occur at these varying blood alcohol concentrations...

THE GREEN ZONE

Concentration Range: .00-.059
Effects: .02-.059 = “social drinker”. Light and moderate drinkers begin to feel mildly relaxed and maybe a little lightheaded. Your inhibitions are slightly loosened, and whatever mood you were in before you started drinking may be mildly intensified. Your behavior may become exaggerated, making you talk louder or faster or act bolder than usual. You may also feel a mild sense of euphoria. Rapid drinking may create the illusion that it takes more alcohol to relax, because the first drinks are taking effect while later drinks are being consumed. Even this level of intoxication is unsafe for women who are pregnant. There is no known safe level of drinking for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant.

THE BLUE ZONE

Concentration: .060-.240
Effects: You believe you are functioning better than you actually are. At this level, you may start to slur your speech. Your sense of balance is probably off and your motor skills are starting to become impaired. Your ability to see and hear clearly is diminished. Your judgment is being affected, so it's difficult for you to decide whether or not to continue drinking. Your ability to evaluate sexual situations is impaired. Students may jokingly refer to this state of mind as "beer goggles", but this BAL can have serious repercussions. People are more likely to take risks they would not take when sober, and are unable to judge accurately their ability to drive. There is no known safe level of alcohol in the blood when driving a motor vehicle or engaging in other potentially risky activities such as swimming, boating and using power tools or firearms. If you have one or more drinks before such activities, allow enough time to pass so that your blood alcohol level returns to ZERO before you begin. Use your table to determine how long it will take for your blood alcohol to return to zero.

Concentration: .080
Effects: Legally Intoxicated in most states. Judgment is further impaired. People are more likely to take risks they would not take when sober and are unable to accurately assess their ability to drive.

Concentration: .100-.120
Effects: At this level, you feel euphoric, but you lack coordination and balance. Your motor skills are markedly impaired, as are your judgment and memory. You probably don't remember how many drinks you've had. Your emotions are exaggerated, and some people become loud, aggressive, or belligerent. If you're a guy, you may have trouble getting an erection when your BAC is this high. Reaction time and control of precise movements are clearly impaired. A person driving at this level is ten times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident. This level is regarded as legal intoxication in almost all nations and states. Vomiting may occur, particularly in less experienced drinkers. Vomiting is a natural protective reaction of the body.

Concentration: .150-.200
Effects: At .140-.170, your euphoric feelings may give way to unpleasant feelings. You have difficulty talking, walking, or even standing. Your judgment and perception are severely impaired. You may become more aggressive, and there is an increased risk of accidentally injuring yourself or others. This is the point when you may experience a blackout. Vomiting may occur in normal drinkers. Balance and coordination are normally impaired. Heavy drinkers may learn to appear sober at this level, but are in fact intoxicated. Balance and coordination are normally impaired. This level means that the equivalent of about one half pint of whiskey is circulating in the bloodstream. This level may result in the kind of amnesia known as an alcoholic "blackout". When sober, the person is unable to recall all or part of what happened during a certain period of intoxication. At .200, you feel confused, dazed, or otherwise disoriented. You need help to stand up or walk. If you hurt yourself at this point, you probably won't realize it because you won't feel pain. If you are aware you've injured yourself, chances are you won't do anything about it. Your gag reflex is impaired, so you could choke if you do throw up. Since blackouts are likely at this level, you may not remember any of this. A person driving at this level is 100 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident.

THE RED ZONE

Concentration: .250
Effects: All mental, physical, and sensory functions are severely impaired. You're emotionally numb. There's an increased risk of asphyxiation from choking on vomit and of seriously injuring yourself by falling or other accidents. Many people lose consciousness at this level. Individuals who have developed a high tolerance to alcohol may remain conscious at much higher levels.

Concentration: .300
Effects: You're in a stupor. You have little comprehension of where you are. You may suddenly pass out at this point (passing out is a normal protective reaction of the body to prevent continued drinking) and be difficult to awaken. (But don't kid yourself: passing out can also occur at lower Backs. But, at lower blood alcohol levels, you may decide you've had enough to drink and go "pass out." With an alarming BAC like .30%, your body will be deciding to pass out for you.)

Concentration: .350
Effects: This blood alcohol level happens to be the level of surgical anesthesia.

Concentration: .400
Effects: You may stop breathing at this point. Most people lose consciousness at this level. You are probably in a coma. The nerve centers controlling your heartbeat and respiration are slowing down.

Concentration: .450
Effects: This is a fatal dose for many people, especially when drinking such a large amount of alcohol at a rapid rate. A dose of alcohol this large can paralyze brain functions, which control breathing and heart activity. When vital functions cease, people die. Drinkers with a high tolerance for alcohol may survive this level. Even after passing out, the person has more alcohol in the stomach, which continues to be absorbed into the bloodstream. This is a serious risk for those who engage in drinking contests, the most frequent cause of alcohol-related fatalities among young people.

The Ups and Downs of Alcohol Consumption

As you consume alcohol in low to moderate amounts and as your BAC is rising and (but under .06) you will likely experience stimulating effects of alcohol (increases in arousal, energy, and confidence). This is due to the combination of increased amount of sugar from alcohol as well as the fact that alcohol initially depresses those parts of the brain that are responsible for inhibition. However, as your BAC surpasses .06 (or your BAC begins to fall) you begin to experience the true depressant effects of alcohol (fatigue, “slowing down”, and lack of coordination). In hopes of avoiding the depressing effects and regaining the initial stimulating effects of alcohol, you may be tempted to drink more. Unfortunately, this is the worst thing that you can do. The more alcohol you consume and subsequently the higher your BAC, the more you will experience the depressing effects of alcohol

Drinking low to moderate amounts of alcohol can minimize the depressing and negative effects of alcohol. (below .06 BAC). Note: Tolerance, although thought to be a positive characteristic by some is actually hampering your experience while you drink. Not only does tolerance make drinking more expensive in terms of calories and money, but tolerance also limits the initial stimulating effects from alcohol and causes the depressing effects to be lower than usual.

Are their other physical or emotional factors to consider when consuming alcohol?

The blood alcohol levels listed in your table are estimates. People do vary with regard to rates of alcohol metabolism. A number of factors could result in a higher blood alcohol level than that listed on the BACZONE™ Card tables, including but not limited to:

Drinking on an empty stomach
Using alcohol in combination with other drugs
Liver disease or impaired living functioning
Being on a diet or under normal weight
Certain emotional states
Being older (slower metabolism)

Other factors may result in lower blood alcohol values than those listed on the BACZONE™ Card tables:

Drinking after a full meal
Vomiting
Having more rapid alcohol metabolism

Remember, your body gets rid of alcohol at a relatively constant rate. There is nothing you can do to speed up the process once alcohol is in your bloodstream. Some factors often believed to help a person "sober up" after drinking have no effect on blood alcohol level. At most, they help the person to feel more awake, resulting in what has been called a “wide awake drunk.” Among ineffective methods are:

Coffee and other stimulants
Exercise
A cold shower or walk in fresh air
Immersing head into ice

Other Things to Consider…

Alcohol and Brain Damage

Brain damage can occur even after a few days of "binge drinking." A new study in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research found that rats given the equivalent of 10 drinks on two consecutive days damaged the part of their brains responsible for smell. Dr. Crews, the study’s co author, suggested that damage to this part of the brain in rats is comparable the frontal cortex in humans which Is involved in judgment and decision-making.

Alcohol and Academic Performance

A 1997 CORE Institute survey of over 197 colleges and universities and over 93,000 students found that grade point average steadily decreases the more students drink each weeks. Students who often receive A's had, on average, 4.21 drinks per week while students who receive D's and F’s had about 9.97 drinks per week.

Alcohol and Sleep

Alcohol consumed within six hours of sleep can lead to disruption of valuable REM sleep and often leaves one feeling fatigued and irritable the next morning. This disruption in REM sleep leads to poor driving even when there is no alcohol left in the body.

Alcohol and Athletic Performance

Drinking alcohol the day before or after a workout can also impede one's athletic performance. While alcohol deprives one of valuable REM sleep, it also depletes an important chemical called Human Growth Hormone or HGH. HGH is part of the muscle-building and repair process, and the body's way of saying that muscle needs to grow. Because of its effects on sleep patterns, alcohol can decrease sleep-related growth hormone release by as much as 70%. Thus, drinking before or after a workout essentially nullifies all of one's hard work.

Alcohol and Memory/ Learning

Alcohol also inhibits a part of your brain called me hippocampus. It is this region of the brain that is vital to the formation of new memories. If you have alcohol in your system while you are in class or studying, you are less likely to store information in your memory. Learning and storing memories are complex processes. Your brain is working hard to turn the information you have learned into memories, even after you have stopped thinking about it. Drinking after spending a day in the library will likely negate your hard work.

Alcohol and Sexual Function

Despite the fact that, at low doses, alcohol often has a stimulating effect and may help people unwind and socialize, alcohol can have a devastating effect on sexual function. When a man consumes alcohol, the liver is stimulated and produces a substance that is toxic to the testes and breaks down testosterone. This reduction in testosterone can lead to shrinking of the testicles and penis, enlargement of the breasts and even impotence.

REFERENCES

Adapted from the BASICS program. Dimeff, L. A., Baer, J. S., Kivlahan, D. & Marlatt, G. A. (1999). Brief Alcohol Screening & Intervention for College Students Basics: A Harm Reduction Approach. New York, Guilford Publications. * BAC descriptions were drawn from the “Facts on Tap website” and the BAC descriptions provided in the BACCUS program narrative, Markham, M.R., Miller, W.R., & Arciniega, L. (1991).