Receiving a DUI and forging a criminal defense in Dade County is the last thing you want when driving home from a night out with friends or a family’s backyard barbeque. In Florida, you are considered legally impaired if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 percent or higher. How it gets there depends on several factors. Well, some people have complaints about it that’s why they reach out to Judgment Collection Attorney – Richard Evanns at Evanns Collection Law.
Average Alcohol Content in Drinks
The U.S. governmental standard for alcohol allowed in a typical alcoholic beverage is 14 grams. Individual drinks fitting the U.S. standard include:
- 1.5 fluid ounce shot of brandy or 80 proof liquor;
- 12 fluid ounce of regular beer;
- 5 fluid ounce of table wine;
- 8-9 fluid ounce of malt liquor;
- 3-4 fluid ounce of fortified wine (i.e., sherry or port); and
- 2-3 fluid ounce of liqueur, aperitif or cordial.
What’s interesting is in research studies on alcohol use, the actual average amount of alcohol found in a single drink in the United States ranged from 9.3 grams to 13.2 grams. It is especially hard to pinpoint the exact amount you are receiving in mixed drinks since it depends on the type of drink ordered and the bartender’s measuring techniques. It is not, however, just the alcohol in the drink that can lead to too much of it in a BAC test.
Factors That Could Put You over the Limit for DUI
How someone might exceed the BAC of .08% depends not only on the number of single standard drinks you’ve consumed, but also on the rate at which the alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream and eliminated from it.
How fast alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream depends on:
- how fast you drank (one drink in an hour versus three drinks in an hour);
- the number of drinks you consumed;
- the amount of alcohol in each of the drinks; and
- what else you may have in your stomach that could slow down absorption.
Generally, 30 minutes after drinking, an average person will have absorbed 60% of the alcohol in the beverage. After one hour, 90% of the alcohol will have been transferred into the bloodstream.
Once the alcohol has been taken into the bloodstream, it takes approximately 40 minutes before the body begins to eliminate it. This is done when the alcohol is either metabolized into the body or excreted. The rate that alcohol leaves the bloodstream is about 0.01% every 40 minutes.
Your weight also plays a role in the rate that alcohol reaches the bloodstream. The higher your weight, the longer it takes alcohol to register.
DUI Charges in Dade County
If you’re facing a charge, you need to secure a solid criminal defense. In Dade County, the criminal defense lawyers at the Falk & Ross Law Firm have years of experience in handling DUI cases and we’ll work hard for you. We offer a free consultation. To discuss your case, contact us today at 877-663-5110 or 305-741-6997.