A Short Online Compendium Of » Maryland Employment Law Hours In Addition To Comparable Analyses
[mage lang="" source="flickr"]maryland employment law hours[/mage]
Understanding Your Blood Alcohol Level
Your blood alcohol level (BAC) identifies the amount of alcohol present in your blood stream. Alcohol gets absorbed directly by your blood, making it relatively easy to test for. It does not get digested first like food does. Whereas it may take several hours for the nutrients in food to be absorbed by your blood stream and distributed to your cells and organs, alcohol can be absorbed and distributed within about 50 minutes.
Your rate of metabolism is a major factor in determining how quickly your body will process and eliminate alcohol from its system. Your liver is responsible for processing alcohol, and it is then expelled through your sweat, breath, and urine. The quicker your metabolism, the quicker your liver will process the alcohol in your system.
On average, most people can process and eliminate one drink per hour. One drink is considered:
- One shot (1 oz. of 80 proof liquor)
- One 12 oz. beer
- One 4 oz. glass of wine
Your BAC will start to rise at a rate of .02 for every drink you consume above one an hour. As your BAC rises, your organs become more and more saturated with alcohol, causing you to feel intoxicated.
Breath Tests
The breathalyzer machine tests the alcohol level of the air in your lungs. There is a direct ratio of 2100:1 linking the alcohol concentration in your lungs to the alcohol concentration in your blood. In other words, every 2100 milliliters of air has the exact same alcohol content as 1 milliliter of blood.
In order for a breath test to accurately determine your BAC, you will need to supply a continuous breath sample of at least 30 seconds. The passage of time will not necessarily lower your BAC. If you have consumed several alcoholic beverages just prior to getting behind the wheel, your body will continue to process this alcohol over the next hour or two. Therefore, it is possible to have a higher BAC when you reach the police station than you did while driving.
Blood Tests
Blood tests are not used as frequently as breath tests because they are considered a more invasive procedure and your blood sample will need to be sent to a lab, causing it to take longer to receive the results. However, blood tests are the method of choice when you are under suspicion of being impaired by drugs.
It is important to understand what is being tested when you are given a blood test. Some labs test whole blood while others test plasma or serum. This will have a big impact on your BAC.
Whole blood is made up of cellular material, plasma, and fibrinogen (a clotting agent). If the solid material is removed, you are left with plasma or serum (plasma without fibrinogen). If the lab is testing your plasma or serum, it will give you an artificially high BAC.
This occurs because when the cellular material is removed by centrifuge, you are left with the same amount of alcohol in a smaller volume of liquid. This will increase the concentration of alcohol in the blood liquid. Serum or plasma BAC measurements are generally about 16% higher than whole blood BAC measurements. This is a big difference.
It is a good idea to ask the lab technician what is being tested. If he is testing plasma or serum, you can expect to be considered more intoxicated than you actually are. This is important information to provide to your DUI attorney.
Don’t Defend Yourself
If you are charged with a DUI, it is important to seek the assistance of an attorney experienced in handling DUI cases. The consequences of a DUI conviction are severe, and can result in serious fines, jail time, loss of license, cancellation of your insurance policy, and potential employment problems. A DUI lawyer can help keep the damage from these charges to a minimum.
If you have been charged with a DUI in the Baltimore, Annapolis, Glen Burnie, or Columbia, Maryland areas, please contact the law offices of Jimeno & Gray, P.A. today to schedule an initial consultation.
About the Author
How to Apply for Maryland Unemployment Insurance