How much can you drink before you pass out? That’s a question many people will ask after an alcohol testing incident in South Australia.
As reported in the Murray Bridge News, it all started when a car was seen driving erratically late on a Saturday night. South Australia Police were called and when they attended, they found and stopped the vehicle. Alcohol testing was conducted on the 59-year-old female driver and she allegedly blew an extremely high 0.287.
It’s not the only recent high alcohol testing reading from the Murray Bridge area. South Australia Police also conducted alcohol testing on a 62-year-old male driver who allegedly blew 0.167. While that’s certainly well below 0.287 blood alcohol level, it’s still three time over the limit.
The South Australian alcohol testing results bring into question just how high your blood alcohol level, or BAC, can be before you would pass out or would be incapable of driving a car?
The answer is somewhat individual, as it can depend on aspects such as how quickly alcohol was consumed, whether food was eaten prior to drinking, plus the sex, size and age of the person. However, as a rough guide:
- At a BAC of 0.2, most people will be feeling confused, disoriented and in some cases will black out. They may feel nauseous and vomiting can occur.
- At 0.25, many people will pass out. If the person is still conscious, they will likely have a complete loss of physical control and will be vomiting.
- At 0.30 most people will be at severe risk of alcohol poisoning and death. Anyone at this BAC who is not unconscious will be unable to know where they are or what they are doing.
- At 0.35, a person may fall into a coma. Their heart and lungs will slow down.
- At 0.45, death is likely to occur.
After reading this, you may be wondering how the 59-year-old South Australian who blew 0.287 during roadside alcohol testing could possibly have been driving a vehicle without having an accident. We would suggest the answer is simply luck.
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A South Australian woman has blown 0.287 during alcohol testing, raising the question of just how much can you drink before you pass out.
