<p>In response to calmom, there is also An app you can download on your phone where you put in your weight, how long you’ve been drinking, and what you were drinking and it calculates your bac for you.</p>
<p>Unfortunately it’s only an estimation. It doesn’t take into account tolerance which is problematic when one considers that the people most likely to drive drunk, young males, are also those most likely to frequently binge. While this may only be a problem for a small subset of the population, the larger issue is that most people mismeasure their drinks. If you’ve taken shots out of a standard shot glass or drank a beer from a can or bottle then it’s not an issue. If on the other hand, you’ve drank using any sort of non standard cup (maybe a glass of wine, a margarita, etc) then you may under or overestimate how many drinks you’ve had, reducing the efficiency of the app.</p>
<p>Only use the BAC calculator as an estimate of how drunk you are, not as a measure of whether you’re under the legal limit. But frankly, if you feel the need to use the app to test whether you have a BAC under .08, you shouldn’t be driving.</p>
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<p>Or don’t drink at all. It might be easier for many that don’t tolerate alcohol well.</p>
<p>I have just caught onto this thread and what strikes me is how different youth DUI is treated in different parts of the country. We have a much kinder (not sure if “better”) system that allows youths younger than 18 to wipe their records even for a DUI. They do lose their license but jail time is not likely unless there is reckless endangerment (the speeding issue and minor may complicate that here too). We also have a program that takes young offenders (drinking or drug possession) and gives them a “second chance” and when they complete the program they are cleared and never go to court. We, sadly, do have personal experience with this for an alcohol possession, although no inebriation, and, embarrassed, shocked and angry at the time, I now think it was the best thing that could have happened to our family. The program pointed out to parents and kids that NO ONE!! gets into that program unless they have made a habit of drinking or drugs already. You just don’t get caught “the first time” because kids are generally so cautious when experimenting…it is when they get cocky and used to drinking or smoking that they get careless and get caught. So do not listen if your teen insists that it was the “only” time or their friends brought the alcohol…etc. Complete and absolute BS. </p>
<p>The program does a dependency assessment, puts them through hours of group therapy and info sessions and should be a requirement for all teens not just for the ones who get caught. Just like the OP we had a kid involved in athletics and schoolwork and community service so it seemed like there was no chance to do this stuff and surprise! there it was. Straight A student, captain of the team, president of volunteer organizations… when this happened we thought her future was blighted and instead we saw a 180 with our kid after the scare and the program…she had always been a good kid and great student but she suddenly realized how arrogant her behavior had been and dismissive of parental/adult advice. Now I see a willingness to listen, think and act responsibly …I feel good about her going off to college and I am hopeful the OPs son will also come out the other side as a better person. Last, I think the OP has probably built the foundation for an adult relationship with his son that will last a lifetime. Kids really can’t fathom the depths of parents’ love and loyalty until they have their own kids but this boy knows it now. I hope the OP takes strength from this. Good luck!</p>
<p>I don’t think an app or a self-test device should ever be relied on as a true measure of BAC content. Rather, I think it serves more of an educational purpose – that is, I think it would help many people who think they are “safe” to drive after drinking socially at a bar or restaurant would realize that the little “buzz” they feel has put them way over the limit. </p>
<p>And I disagree with the statement, “if you feel the need to use the app to test whether you have a BAC under .08, you shouldn’t be driving.” – I think that an app could be very useful whether or not someone “feels the need”. There are probably many people who consider themselves moderate drinkers who don’t feel any need at all, who might be surprised at what their BAC content is. There are probably many people who habitually drive with BAC’s in the ~.08 range who have never been stopped or experienced a problem related to driving, who assume they are o.k. when they legally are not. I mean, that borderline BAC level is not the point at where really crazy stuff is happening (swerving all over the road, driving the wrong way on the freeway, etc.) – so it is quite possible that a moderate drinker might easily underestimate their level of impairment.</p>
<p>I’d note that a cup of coffee after a meal will not reduce BAC, but will give the social drinker a greater sense of alertness, also masking possible level of impairment.</p>
<p>But the cup of coffee can give you another 1/2 hour before you get behind the wheel. How much does BAC diminish every 1/2 hour or so?</p>
<p>I just Googled this and it would basically mean you had 1/2 a drink less. Figure you rid yourself of 1 drink for every hour you did not drink.</p>
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<p>Four drinks in an evening technically constitutes binge drinking for a woman. Using one of the handy calculators, I’d have to drink all four drinks in an hour to get my BAC over .08, and I’m not sure I’d be able to stand up at that point, much less drive. You have to have built up quite a tolerance to see that as moderate drinking.</p>
<p>How do you define a “drink”? The chart at [Blood</a> Alcohol Level Chart | Are You Legally Drunk? | BAC Level | drivinglaws.org](<a href=“http://dui.drivinglaws.org/drink-table.php]Blood”>Blood Alcohol Concentration Estimate: What's My BAC? | DuiDrivingLaws.org) equates 3 oz of wine with a “drink” – my guess is that it more common for a restaurant to serve wine in 8 oz glasses, probably pouring each glass to about 6 oz. So now you are talking about 2 glasses of wine, not 4. </p>
<p>The chart in this page - [BAC</a> Charts](<a href=“http://www.brad21.org/bac_charts.html]BAC”>http://www.brad21.org/bac_charts.html) - which defines a drink as 5 oz of wine (rather than 3) – shows that a 120 lb woman would hit the liegal limit after 2 drinks. I think it would be very easy for someone to consume two glasses of wine during dinner. </p>
<p>Blood alcohol levels increase before they go down. See: [url=<a href=“http://www.dickinsonpd.com/dpd/dui.html]Alcohol/DUI[/url”>http://www.dickinsonpd.com/dpd/dui.html]Alcohol/DUI[/url</a>]</p>
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<p>Sadly, and we know this from extensive research, most teens don’t know what constitutes “a drink”. The evidence suggests that, on average, the average college student who thinks s/he had only four drinks, and is hence classed as a non-binge drinker, actually had NINE, and half of them had more. </p>
<p>The discussion of a couple of glasses of wine is wholly beside the point. The teens aren’t doing that, or anything even close. So-called “moderate” drinkers among teens are a fast disappearing breed.</p>
<p>From my experience, most high school and college students drink out of one of two vesicles, shot glasses and red solo cups (which allow for easy measurement). So in a lab setting they might mismeasure but when placed in an environment with more realistic glasses, their estimations are probably more accurate.</p>
<p>red solo cups allow for easy measurement of beer and wine assuming a student pours until full and drinks until empty before refilling, and keeps an accurate count. There are many other options than that however, on how a person might drink from a red cup, and in my experience those other factors lead to inaccurate estimations.
Further, for those that drink mixed drinks, the amount of booze (such as in a margarita or bourbon and coke) are very difficult to measure, even in a red cup. I don’t think I ever saw a young person measure the hooch with a shotglass then top off with cola. It was always a free pour.</p>
<p>The point really isn’t whether a kid knows a red cup is x ounces or the wine glass holds 3 oz or 5. Or who poured what. </p>
<p>It’s about how they make judgments. It’s about the “I feel fine” moment, when they decide they can drive or know what they are getting into. (Or the “Hey, let’s keep the buzz going” mentality.)</p>
<p>You are either in a position to make wise choices- or not. That’s the point. And, a kid drinking is generally not in that position.</p>
<p>To the point of how many drinks one has - at least in my state, the DUI point for one under 21 isn’t .08% - it’s .01%. This means there’s no point to an underage drinker trying to calculate how many drinks they can have and still drive legally because the answer is ‘0’. The good part is this makes it very easy for them to understand even if they’re math challenged.</p>
<p>I can’t believe we’re even discussing “how many” drinks. Back when H and I were young one of us would drive but that person would always have a drink or two. Now we simply do not drink, period, and drive. Nine years ago when our oldest was in driver’s training a police officer was teaching one of the classes and asked the class how many beers they thought they could drink and still be legal, it was .08 here at the time. By 230 pound kid was the only one who raised his hand and he said “two.” I was shocked. The officer handled it well, and he didn’t seem surprised, but I was surprised that my son had even thought about it (since he was 16). We would all be surprised if we knew what our kids might do, even if we model great behavior. The OPs son had a steep learning curve, but I’m guessing he will do some deep thinking during these 10 days and hopefully he’ll be the one that can just say “no” going forward.</p>
<p>“So in a lab setting they might mismeasure but when placed in an environment with more realistic glasses, their estimations are probably more accurate.”</p>
<p>Nope. They were tested in “real world” settings. Experimental evidence. The environments they are placed in rarely have “realistic” glasses. </p>
<p>“Further, for those that drink mixed drinks, the amount of booze (such as in a margarita or bourbon and coke) are very difficult to measure, even in a red cup. I don’t think I ever saw a young person measure the hooch with a shotglass then top off with cola. It was always a free pour.”</p>
<p>Correct!</p>
<p>I am a small person, so one glass of wine is all I’ll have anymore with a dinner or any social occasion out, since I usually drive. Let DH have a few drinks, though he could probably absorb a lot more. That’s the only reason I like to have a drink with alcohol anyways, as an accompanyment to a meal, or a champagne toast and that’s all I serve here too, and put the stuff away well before the end of he event. I do not want contribute to anyone drinking too much. I emptied my house of all alcohol and abstained totally for about 8 years, and really all I missed was to take a few sips of wine with some meals as an accent. </p>
<p>Though I’m sure it happens, every single case of people, young folks in particular, who got into trouble with drinking were not just having some wine with the meal, even a lot of wines. It’s just drinking to get blitzed. That’s a whole other scene. My kids don’t even like the wines with meals and neither do many of their hard drinking friends, so it’s not the taste they are going for. it’s the effect. </p>
<p>However, whereas 20-30 years ago, I might have a cordial or something as a dessert or that second glass of wine, and now I don’t. One is the limit and I rarely finish it. I still would not like to leave immediately after drinking it. God forbid some terrible accident should happen and I am asked to take a test, and there is a trace, though not up to illegal level there. I have no idea how little or how much it would take for me to get what reading.</p>
<p>I agree that an app shouldn’t be used to see if you’re sober enough to drI’ve. But it can be used to help you with others and give you an idea of how alcohols compare. It also tells you weekday a seei,ng size is. I find it very informative.</p>
<p>I drink like one alcoholic beverage a month. There are those out there that drink one an hour. :)</p>
<p>That’s it: drinking to get blitzed.<br>
The impaired judgment that allows for that, in the first place. I think that’s why some posters could look at more than this particular incident. And why thinking a self-breathalyzer or counting the ounces of alcohol from a few red cups or assuming it’s just about body size makes little sense. If they want to get the buzz, you start there. This is more than having a glass of wine with a meal. Eyes wide open.</p>
<p>I’ve got a sad tale of my D’s good friend. A complicated situation where the parents didn’t believe she was either drinking to excess or responsible for any drinking that did go on. Even when one incident at a dance led to an ambulance to ER. Her parents did not actively intervene. I see this gal now and she’s made changes. But the cost to her is a four year loss in developing self-esteem and other strengths.</p>
<p>May I also point out that this discussion also applies to social host situations, ie when your kids are at their apartment in college, throw a party, and someone drives home from it? Eve if they are all of age, there is still legal liability if a guest gets into an accident on the way home.</p>
<p>My housemates thought I was nuts, but I told them that I would buy six-packs of beer, wine, and some spiked eggnog for a Christmas party, but if they wanted a keg, they were on their own for purchasing it and for the party - I would be elsewhere. I would much prefer everything to come in nice, premeasured containers (like bottles of beer), or be in a vessel that indicates that you’re having one drink, not two or three (my small wine glasses fit about five or six ounces of booze in them, and I served the eggnog in 4 oz cups).</p>
<p>fendergirl, I’m from a family that has always tolerated alcohol well. I had the one margarita experience, a year ago, where it looped me. One. At a restaurant, so unless there was a mistake made, it was a standard pour. Maybe it was this or that, to explain. Doesn’t matter. It brought home to me the message that our kids can’t assume.</p>