Pittsburgh DUI – How Many Drinks to Reach .19% Blood Alcohol Level

Posted in Centre County DUI,General on January 12, 2015

By

According to news reports in Pittsburgh, a rookie Pittsburgh Steeler’s player was charged with many criminal offense

s, including felony counts of Fleeing and Eluding, Aggravated Assault while DUI, and Aggravated Assault, as well as misdemeanor charges of DUI and Resisting Arrest.  It is alleged that the player refused to stop his vehicle despite orders from the police to do so, and the player almost struck a few of the officers in his attempt to flee.  Ultimately, the player was arrested, and his blood alcohol concentration was found to be over .19%.

Body Mass Impacts Blood Alcohol Concentration

While I could blog about how this athlete has possibly thrown away his professional future or the possible penalties that he is facing from the Aggravated Assault while DUI and DUI charges, I thought it was more interesting to try and figure out how much a person must drink to reach a .19%.

A person’s body mass is a critical factor in determining blood alcohol levels.  For example, according to an estimated blood alcohol chart, a male that weighs 120 pounds and has 5 drinks in an hour has an estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .16%, or twice the Pennsylvania DUI limit.  However, a 240 pound male that consumes 5 drinks in an hour has an estimated BAC of .08%, half of the BAC for a 120 pound man, and at threshold level for Pennsylvania DUI charge.

The BAC chart does not list estimated levels for a male that is over 240 pounds.  A 240 pound man that consumed 10 drinks in an hour has an estimated BAC of .16%.  The Steeler rookie is listed as being 6 foot 3 inches tall and weighed approximately 350 pounds.  My question is how many drinks did he have to consume to reach a .19%?

As a follow up to that question, when I was a student at Penn State, I remember a young girl, possibly underage, that had a BAC of over .60% and lived to talked about it.  I wonder who had to consume more alcohol, the large, muscular football player at 350 pounds, or a young, average sized women that had a BAC of over .60%.