According to the American Medical Association, a 180-lb. (82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce

(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the same BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.

It's the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if the same person drank three double martinis

(3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person's BAC would be close to 0.12 percent. A person who consumes food just before or during drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level.

There is a gender difference, too. Women generally have a lower relative percentage of body water than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC level than a man of her same body weight when each has the same number of drinks.

The law in many U.S. states sets the legal limit at a BAC of 0.10 percent. In a growing number of U.S. states, and throughout Canada, the limit is 0.08 percent. In some other countries, it's even lower. The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent.

The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we've seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them.

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Chevrolet 2001 manual