Alcohol is a poison: Testing the limits of human endurance

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Police have described an alcohol testing result in the ACT of 0.443 blood alcohol concentration near fatal. Credit ACT Policing Facebook page.

Have you ever wondered how much alcohol you would need to drink to fail alcohol testing? How much alcohol you would need to drink to pass out? How much you could drink before you could potentially die?

The questions come after an alcohol testing incident in the ACT, which police described as near fatal.

The incident involved a 36-year-old male driver who was pulled over by police in the early hours of the morning after officers noticed a car being driven erratically. Alcohol testing was conducted and the driver allegedly blew a staggering 0.443 blood alcohol concentration (BrAC).

Just in case your maths isn’t overly good, that’s close to nine times over the legal limit!

It’s the highest alcohol testing result ever recorded in the ACT. The driver was issued an immediate 90-day license suspension and has a future court date where he can hopefully explain his actions.

How high can you go?

How was the man still driving his car with that amount of alcohol in his system? How didn’t he have an accident and potentially injure or kill himself or others?

Those are perhaps questions that nobody can answer. However, one thing we can say for sure is the man was simply lucky to be alive. With a BAL that high, death is a possibility and the fact the man wasn’t in a coma and could still drive is nothing short of incredible.

We’ve highlighted before in our posts the different effects that most people experience as blood alcohol concentrations rise. It starts to become relatively serious at around 0.25 BrAC, where many people will pass out. At 0.30, most people will be at risk of alcohol poisoning and potentially death. And at 0.35, still well short of the 0.443 of the ACT man, a coma is a possibility.

Testing alcohol’s effects on humans

High blood alcohol levels are a significant concern and can increase the risk of accidents on the road, in the workplace, in the community and at home. However, what most people don’t realise is that any amount of alcohol can affect us.

It’s been proven that even moderate alcohol consumption can have both short-term and long-term effects on the brain. According to VicHealth, “No matter how little or how much you drink, alcohol affects our entire brain matter, causing both immediate and lasting consequences. Brain matter is a crucial component of our central nervous system, and when it’s negatively impacted, it can lead to various issues.”

Short term effects can include:

  • Interrupted sleep: Alcohol can disrupt your sleep patterns.
  • Slow body functions: Changes in the chemical makeup of your brain can slow down bodily functions.
  • Mood and cognition: Alterations in mood, energy levels, concentration and memory.
  • Judgment and movement: Impaired judgment and motor skills.
  • Physical symptoms: Slurred speech, nausea, vomiting and difficulty breathing.
  • Severe reactions: In extreme cases, significant quantities of alcohol can lead to coma or death.

Long term effects can include:

  • Mental health: Ongoing mental health issues.
  • Physical health: Increased risk of diabetes, weight gain and various cancers.
  • Heart and liver: Heart problems and potential liver failure.
  • Brain damage: Alcohol-related brain impairment (ARBI).
  • Fertility issues: Problems with fertility.

While even moderate drinking can be harmful, heavier consumption generally leads to more severe effects. The current recommendation for adults is to consume no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any single day to reduce health risks.

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Police have described an alcohol testing result in the ACT of 0.443 blood alcohol concentration near fatal. Credit ACT Policing Facebook page.

By Michael

Michael is the founder of Integrity Sampling and is responsible for overseeing all national operations. He is based at Integrity Sampling's head office in Melbourne and is also responsible for the co-ordination of drug and alcohol testing within Victoria, assisting in the implementation of drug and alcohol (fit for work) policies and the presentation of drug and alcohol education and awareness programs. You can connect with Michael Wheeldon on LinkedIn

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