1993 Pontiac Firebird Owner's Manual - Page 137

Your Driving and the Road In most cases, thesedeaths are the result of someone who was drinking and driving. Over 25,000 motor vehicle-related deaths occur each year because of alcohol, and thousandsof people are injured. Just how much alcohol is too much if a person plans todrive? Ideally, no one should drink alcohol and then drive. But if one does, then what's "too much"? It can be a lot less than many mightthink. Although it depends on each personand situation, here is some general information on the problem. The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of someone who is drinking depends'upon four things: 0 How much alcohol is in the drink. a The drinker's body weight. 0 The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking. 0 The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol 136 According to the American Medical Association, a 180-pound (82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka. It's the amount alcohol that counts.For of example, if the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person's BAC would be close to 0.12 percent.A person who consumes foodjust before or during drinking will have a slightly lower BAC level.