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Because it's fun to play with numbers.
Widmark Formula -
(alcohol consumed in ounces X percentage of alcohol) x 5.14 = BAC (blood alcohol)
(lbs the person weighs x .73 for men OR .66 for women)
The difference between the male and female numbers is because males and females have different amounts of water in their systems.
Beer .06
Wine .12
Liquor % alcohol is 1/2 the proof ex 80 proof is 40% or .40
* This assumes that your character did all of the drinking at once.
* If your character was drinking over time - here's the formula:
1. Estimate the hours that the character was drinking.
2. Multiply the number of hours by .015
3. Subtract this number from your BAC that you calculated using the above formula.
So let's try this out.
Your heroine, 110lbs of spit fire, drank 5 shots of 80 proof over 4 hours. Can she reasonably aim her 9mm at the bad guy?
Let's say the shots are 1.5 oz
1.5 (ounces of vodka) X 5(shots) = 7.5 ounces
7.5 (ounces of alcohol) X .4 (percentage of alcohol) X 5.14 = 15.42 = .21
110 (how much she weighs) x.66 (she's a woman) 72.6
Your heroine is in bad shape. An illegal level of alcohol is typically .08
Did you really write 5 shots into your plot???
But remember, she's spaced this out over 4 hours. Let's see if that helps.
1. estimated hours = 4
2. multiply by .015 4 x .015 = .06
3. subtract this from your BAC from the above calculation .21 - .06 = .15
Okay she's still almost twice the legal drinking number. Hopefully you wrote a good Samaritan into your plot to grab that chick's keys.
She is stumbling, incoherent, maybe puking and wetting herself - she's not a pretty picture.
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This formula can also help you figure out how long it would take for your character to sober up and get their blood alcohol level down.
Do you need to get your character drunk faster?
* Alcohol absorption is greater on an empty stomach and these
calculations assume that your character wasn't eating.
* Carbonation will increase speed of absorption - but also, often
slows down the drinking process.
Other factors not compensated for with the Widmark Calculation:
* Sleep deprivation
* Dehydration
* Low muscle mass ratio
* Medications
* Individual physiology and psychology
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Here's how your character might feel:
The following was listed on Yale College Site LINK
.01-.03
Today: slight buzz. a bit more relaxed, warmer, less inhibited.
Tomorrow: hangover free.
.04-.06
Today: buzzed/tipsy some stimulant effects (euphoria and increased energy); slight decrease in inhibitions, judgment, and coordination; possible mood changes.
Tomorrow: no hangover
.07-.09
Today: Drunk. noticeably losing coordination, inhibitions, and judgment; starting to feel some depressant effects like drowsiness and lowered alertness.
Tomorrow: hangover possible. Some chance of a hangover; hydrating between drinks will help. Likely a little slow getting things done in the a.m.
.10-.14
Today: very drunk. Loss of coordination, inhibitions, judgment; some depressant effects: drowsiness, lowered alertness, loss of coordination. Slurred speech and chance of nausea.
Tomorrow: hangover likely. Decreased REM sleep overnight = a bit tired and less productive. Hydration between drinks (not right before bed) will help.
.15-.19
Today: very drunk. Depressant effects in full force: drowsiness, lowered alertness, loss of coordination and judgment. Nausea and vomiting somewhat likely.
Tomorrow: serious hangover. Probably sick and headachy. No REM sleep at all = not very sharp; studying will be a struggle. Hydration between drinks (not right before bed) will help
.20-.29
Today: extremely drunk. Difficult to walk or even stay awake. Significant nausea/vomiting; sleeping on back could lead to choking on vomit and suffocating. Speech is a struggle; blackout likely.
Tomorrow: hangover agony. Debilitating headache/nausea and fervent regret almost certain. Productivity of any sort unlikely until mid-afternoon.
.30-.39
Today: critical state. Probably unconscious; well past vomiting and blacking out. A chance of death if medical attention does not arrive.
Tomorrow: bigger problems. A debilitating hangover is only the start. Details will depend on time of hospital release.
.40+
Today: comatose. Already thrown up, blacked out, passed out. Significant chance of death if medical help doesn’t arrive promptly.
Tomorrow: hopefully. In the event of survival, hangover or not will depend on the amount and type of anesthesia administered in the hospital.
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