Level Of Alcohol To Be Legally Intoxicated

Blood-alcohol level is considered in determining if a person is legally intoxicated.

While different states have varying standards for determining intoxication, there are some general guidelines. Typically, a breath-alcohol testing method is used. There are various types of these including a manual tester that requires the person to blow up a balloon and electronic monitoring devices.

Identification

When a person's blood alcohol levels reach .08 percent, she is considered intoxicated by legal standards in most states and can be arrested for drunk driving, according to Medline Plus. However, some impaired judgment, delayed reactions and lack of physical coordination may occur at .05 percent levels.

Function

When a person drinks, the alcohol flows down from the esophagus into the stomach where it is absorbed into the bloodstream. If food is present, alcohol is more slowly absorbed. A person's size, gender, drinking habits and types of drinks impact the speed of absorption or intoxication.

Time Frame

How quickly drinks are taken also impacts the level of alcohol in the bloodstream. For instance, four drinks downed in one hour will result in higher levels of intoxication than the same amount consumed over four hours. However, .1 percent blood alcohol is considered intoxicated in all states, according to the AddictionInfo.org website.

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