.12 BAL is a LOT more than just one drink
“Nicole Richie, who blew a .12 per cent BAL, drank only a shot of vodka that day.â€
So said a number of reports, in which Richie’s 2002 arrest for DUI was mentioned, that detailed her most recent overt symptom of addiction: driving the wrong way on a Burbank, CA freeway under the influence of Vicodin and dope. Unfortunately, once again journalists woefully misled the public in a major news story.
The calculation for determining BAL seems virtually unknown outside our exclusive circle. To review: one “drink”= one “shot”= 1.5 ounces 80-proof liquor = 5 ounces average (12% alcohol) wine = 12 ounces average (5% alcohol) beer. One drink increases the BAL of a 200 pound person by .02 per cent, a 120 pound person by .03 per cent and a 100-pounder by almost .04 per cent. We might figure that one drink increases an 85-pound person’s BAL by about .05 per cent. Therefore, if she was tested almost immediately after imbibing, the severely underweight Ritchie consumed almost 2.5 drinks. Since the BAL decreases by about .015 per cent per hour, she needed to consume three drinks over two hours to reach the tested level.
This is basic, but important. Most people think a person of average weight will be legally intoxicated with only a drink or two, which many non-alcoholics consume without ill-effect, possibly leading them to conclude that many DUIs are committed by non-addicts just like them. No, it takes a lot more than just a drink for even the severely malnourished. And far more is required by those of average weight. The facts suggest that DUIs are committed by those who can drink far greater quantities than non-alcoholics, but you wouldn’t know this from news reports.
Nicole Richie is a typical alcoholic in minimizing her alcohol consumption. Just because she told the arresting officers in 2002 that all she had was a shot of vodka shouldn’t provide cover for reporters to commit journalistic malpractice. They would do readers a great service by countering explanations offered by alcoholics with the truth