• Home
• Facts About Alcohol
  • Alcohol
  • What is a standard drink
  • Alcohol and the body
  • Factors affecting blood alcohol concentration
  • Sobering up
  • Responsible consumption
  • Exercise Questions - Module 1
• Intoxication
• Underage
• Duty of Care
• Refusal of Service
• RSA Refresher Course Test
• The Grapevine

Factors affecting blood alcohol concentration

There are a number of factors that will impact upon BAC:

• Gender - Female bodies contain a higher fat to water ratio than males. With less water to dilute the alcohol, the BAC will be higher.
• Size - A larger person will have more water in their body to dilute the alcohol than a smaller person and therefore the BAC will be lower.
• Fitness - Muscle processes alcohol whereas fat does not.
• Food - The presence of food in the stomach slows the rate at which alcohol leaves the stomach and enters the intestines. This generally results in a lower BAC in the short term, however alcohol will remain in the bloodstream for a longer period.
• Rate of drinking - If liquor is consumed at a rate faster than one standard drink per hour, the BAC will rise as the body can only process one standard drink per hour.