Blood Alcohol Concentration

The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the ratio of alcohol to blood (to body weight) present in the bloodstream at any given time. In Rhode Island the BAC level is evidence that you are legally intoxicated or unfit to drive. The current BAC level set by law in Rhode Island is different for different ages:

1. Any person of any age with a BAC of .08% or more is intoxicated and will be charged with drunk driving – Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
2. Any person under the age of twenty-one (21) with a BAC of .02% but less than .08% is impaired and will be charged with Driving While Impaired (DWI).

When alcohol enters your stomach, it goes into your blood and to all parts of your body. Your BAC depends on several factors:

1. How much alcohol you have had to drink.
2. How much you weigh.
3. How much food you ate before drinking.
4. How much time you have been drinking.
5. The speed at which your body processes the alcohol in your system, which is different for each person.

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