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DUI/DWI Hot Topics: |
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Blood Alcohol Content in MarylandWhat does BAC stand for?A Blood Alcohol Level Test measures Blood Alcohol Content or Concentration. First, here are some quick facts about alcohol. Alcohol (ethanol) is a powerful, mind-altering chemical, no matter what form it is in--beer, wine, or liquor. Because alcohol consumption is so common in our culture, we often forget that it is a drug that the body treats as a toxin--a poison. It is a depressant that is absorbed into the bloodstream through your stomach and intestinal lining (remember, it is not digested like food) and is transmitted to all parts of the body. When alcohol reaches the brain, it affects the control centers resulting in poor judgment, slower reflexes, blurred vision and problems with coordination. Your liver processes alcohol out of your system at an average rate of about 1.5 ounces of 80 proof alcohol an hour. Nothing you can do will speed this process up...not exercising, vomiting, or drinking 3 shots of espresso. Drinking faster than your body can process alcohol causes intoxication (literally alcohol poisoning). If you have questions about Maryland Drunk Driving Laws, contact a Maryland Drunk Driving Lawyer now! A "drink" is defined as one 12-ounce glass of beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof liquor ("proof" is double the actual percentage of alcohol content, so 80 proof liquor is 40% alcohol). Lately, there has been a lot of talk about binge drinking (5 or more drinks in a row for men, 4 or more for women). Most people are intoxicated if they binge drink. Now you may be saying to yourself, I'm not really drunk after five drinks. Well, remember, intoxication is caused by the amount of alcohol is your bloodstream or your blood alcohol content (BAC). And yes, it does measure how drunk a person is by telling us how much alcohol is in the bloodstream. The fact is that your BAC is probably higher than you realize after five drinks. However, most people don't know their BAC when they are drinking, but they do know their body's tolerance level to alcohol. The fact that our body can develop a tolerance to alcohol complicates how we judge alcohol's affect on our bodies. Also, since alcohol affects our judgment processes, it is hard for us to be accurate about our level of intoxication.Effect of a Breath or Blood Test in Maryland (after October 1, 2001)In Maryland, the approved breath-testing device is currently the Intoximeter EC/IR. It is intended to give a measurement of deep lung air in grams of alcohol (a weight) per 210 liters of breath (a volume). For blood tests the result is measured in grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. The test results have legal significance. If the result is .08 or more the driver is per se under the influence (DUI - Driving Under the Influence). If the test result is .07 or more, but less than .08, it is considered prima facie evidence the driver is impaired (DWI - Driving While Impaired) by alcohol. If the test result is more than .05 but less than .07, the test evidence is considered neutral. If the test result is .05 or less, the driver is presumed not to be under the influence of alcohol. For the driver who is under 21 years of age, the legal limit is .02. The driver may lose their driver's license or privilege for 6 months and be fined. It is important to consult with a lawyer to gain a further understanding of the ramifications of these tests.
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