accurate BAC meter?

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 2:27 pm

Andrew Jonell wrote:

That said, I wonder if you can lose your license if you get a DUI on a bicycle, skateboard, or horse...

In some states, you can:

http://duiwise.com/dui-dwi-answers/can- ... n-a-horse/

- AB

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 5:45 pm

IIRC, someone got nailed with a DUI because they were passed out in the driver's seat of a parked car. Keys may or may not have been in their hand, but I can't recall.

edit: yep https://www.kirksanderslaw.com/blog/you-might-be-found-guilty-dwi-even-if-you-are-not-actually-driving

Thanks, all. If I have to consider lockout breathalyzers, I would have gone too far down the road and have already had my medical license suspended, hospital privileges suspended/revoked and would forever be blackballed in the medical community as a substance abuser.. Like I said earlier, the scenario I need to avoid is feeling sober even though my BAC would be over 0.05 (in the worst case scenario), or the current 0.08. I have a feeling that I would be aware of a 0.08 level, for sure, since I don't drink heavily as it is. Based on the Internet calculators I tried, 2-3 12 oz beers in one hour would put a 158-lb male (me) at 0.06. I usually drink 1-2 in an hour, but I don't know if that calculator assumes a 4-5% alcohol beer or my preferred crafty brews that range 6-8%. Probably the former.

The BACTrack brand has some interesting options including a smartphone app-enabled model. Not sure how comfortable I am about the app part of it, but seems intriguing.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 9:53 pm

Steven Carter wrote:

...I have a feeling that I would be aware of a 0.08 level, for sure, since I don't drink heavily as it is. .

there's your problem... Start drinking like a fish and have your body adjust to the higher BAC. From there you can go out and down 4 beers and be good to go!

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 10:59 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

Steven Carter wrote:

...I have a feeling that I would be aware of a 0.08 level, for sure, since I don't drink heavily as it is. .

there's your problem... Start drinking like a fish and have your body adjust to the higher BAC. From there you can go out and down 4 beers and be good to go!

Well, hold on, i'm not sure that will really affect what registers for the BAC. I'm not sure you can say a tolerance means you'll have a lower BAC level, but i'm not doctor and could be wrong about that lol.

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

I think he is implying that Steve would no longer be 158 lbs if he starts drinking like a fish, hence increasing his ability to drink and not increase BAC. . .

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 9:31 am

BriceJohnson wrote:

I think he is implying that Steve would no longer be 158 lbs if he starts drinking like a fish, hence increasing his ability to drink and not increase BAC. . .

I was about to suggest the same. Now is the time to pack on the pounds! Same 3 beers in 60 minutes gives me 0.025% and that is more beer than I care to drink! Now you just have to figure out how to ignore the other health issues the extra weight might cause.

On a serious note... Is there any evidence that maybe just keeping track of how much you drink might be more accurate than a consumer BAC meter? Set a drink limit and have a chart that shows what your BAC should be over time so you know when you should be OK to drive? Or is there to many other factors at play such as how much you may or may not have eaten for example.

Richard

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 9:59 am

Richard Casto wrote:

BriceJohnson wrote:

I think he is implying that Steve would no longer be 158 lbs if he starts drinking like a fish, hence increasing his ability to drink and not increase BAC. . .

I was about to suggest the same. Now is the time to pack on the pounds! Same 3 beers in 60 minutes gives me 0.025% and that is more beer than I care to drink! Now you just have to figure out how to ignore the other health issues the extra weight might cause.

On a serious note... Is there any evidence that maybe just keeping track of how much you drink might be more accurate than a consumer BAC meter? Set a drink limit and have a chart that shows what your BAC should be over time so you know when you should be OK to drive? Or is there to many other factors at play such as how much you may or may not have eaten for example.

Richard

That's the Exact rationale behind the question... I just need a reliable instrument to gather data. I want to know what my personal alcohol effects are given my weight and age. If I have a reasonably accurate meter then I can know more from experience and establish my baseline as to how much a certain amount of alcohol over certain amount of time will affect my blood alcohol level. There are calculators online, but there seem to be more variables in play then what the calculators might take into account such as genetics, whether you prefer high alcohol content beers versus low alcohol beers, etc.

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 10:08 am

Steven Carter wrote:

That's the Exact rationale behind the question... I just need a reliable instrument to gather data. I want to know what my personal alcohol effects are given my weight and age. If I have a reasonably accurate meter then I can know more from experience and establish my baseline as to how much a certain amount of alcohol over certain amount of time will affect my blood alcohol level. There are calculators online, but there seem to be more variables in play then what the calculators might take into account such as genetics, whether you prefer high alcohol content beers versus low alcohol beers, etc.

One of the potential large variables, which I know you're well aware of, is how much, if any, food you have in your stomach -- i.e. the absorption rate of any drink consumed. I'm sure you have a much better idea than me, but the engineer part of me wants to assume that the type of food consumed prior to any drink plays a role too (i.e. if you eat a plain lettuce salad versus consuming a 14oz ribeye). Hence having an accurate meter makes even more sense as opposed to a guide.

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 10:16 am

Chuck Branscomb wrote:

Steven Carter wrote:

That's the Exact rationale behind the question... I just need a reliable instrument to gather data. I want to know what my personal alcohol effects are given my weight and age. If I have a reasonably accurate meter then I can know more from experience and establish my baseline as to how much a certain amount of alcohol over certain amount of time will affect my blood alcohol level. There are calculators online, but there seem to be more variables in play then what the calculators might take into account such as genetics, whether you prefer high alcohol content beers versus low alcohol beers, etc.

One of the potential large variables, which I know you're well aware of, is how much, if any, food you have in your stomach -- i.e. the absorption rate of any drink consumed. I'm sure you have a much better idea than me, but the engineer part of me wants to assume that the type of food consumed prior to any drink plays a role too (i.e. if you eat a plain lettuce salad versus consuming a 14oz ribeye). Hence having an accurate meter makes even more sense as opposed to a guide.

I have noticed that if I eat something with a fair amount of carbs it tends to reduce the effect the alcohol has on me. So if I drink 2 beers before eating the effect is much more noticeable versus 1 before and one after or something like that.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:24 am

But does the "effect" of carbs actually reduce your BAC? I would doubt it has much of an effect. - AB

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:29 am

No, it slows the absorption rate rather than directly lessening the effect. If you have the lean body mass to absorb alcohol from the bloodstream faster than it is absorbed from the stomach or mucous membranes then you will stay ahead of a deleterious BAC level, assuming a healthy liver and no genetic enzyme issues (ALDH, ADH, P450 cascade etc) or adverse drug effects

FrancisChan · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 12:04 pm

Could you transfuse additional blood to reduce the percentage....

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

FrancisChan wrote:

Could you transfuse additional blood to reduce the percentage....

I'm pretty sure that this is the plot of the first episode (not the pilot) of The Venture Bros.

(The doctor character loses both of his kidneys and uses a robot to act as a mobile robotic kidney)

JamesMilko · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 1:10 pm

Just have a renal hemodialysis machine sitting nearby. You could pretty much drink nonstop.

FrancisChan · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 1:52 pm

The Ponysaurus Brewing Company in Durham is right next to a dialysis center, I'm sure some enterprising person could test that theory out.

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