BAC, or blood alcohol content, is the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream. It is measured in percentages. For example, a 0.10% BAC is 1 part alcohol per 1,000 parts of blood.
Although servers can’t know a customer’s BAC, they can try to estimate it by counting standard servings of alcohol and being familiar with the BAC chart. Customers with high tolerance, the body’s ability to hide the visible signs of intoxication, can drink large amounts of alcohol and not show signs of visible intoxication, yet still be legally intoxicated because of their BAC level.
BAC – Women – Blood Alcohol Content
BAC – Men – Blood Alcohol Content
When BAC rises, the body is consuming more alcohol than the liver can metabolize. A drop in BAC indicates that enough time has passed for the liver to break down the alcohol. So, time is the key factor in eliminating alcohol.
BAC is the legal standard police and courts use to determine levels of intoxication. Intoxication is based on the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood. In most states it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher.
Utah is the BAC exception with a BAC level of .05 going into effect late December 2018.