UNDERSTANDING DRUNK DRIVING CASES IN HO. CO. MARYLAND: GENDER DIFFERENCES

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FACTORS THAT AFFECT ALCOHOL DISTRIBUTION IN THE BODY
There are several factors that affect alcohol distribution in the body, including:

WEIGHT
The higher the body weight, the lower the blood alcohol concentration.  If a person weighs about 150 pounds, one drink will generally produce a blood alcohol concentration of about .02%, and the BAC will move up in steps of about .02% for each drink consumed, so that five drinks in a one-hour time frame may produce a BAC of .10% on an empty stomach.  A smaller person, say one that weighs about 100 pounds, may produce about .04% BAC for each drink.  A 200-pound drinker may have about a .012% BAC.

BODY TYPE
Body type is as important as body size.  Muscular people have more blood and water in their systems, which helps to dilute the alcohol.  Alcohol is also absorbed by muscle tissue.  Fat does not absorb blood, water or alcohol, so the more muscular a person is, the more alcohol it will take to increase the blood alcohol concentration.  If there are two people of almost the same weight, the more muscular person tends to have a lower BAC than the person who body tissues have a high fat content.

GENDER
Gender also has an effect because women biologically have a larger proportion of fat than men do.  Therefore, women will tend to develop a higher BAC than men of identical weight who consume the same number of drinks.  Additionally, women have less of the metabolizing enzyme that processes alcohol in the wall of their stomach, thus affecting women regardless of their weight.  In addition to these two factors, women typically have a lower blood volume than men, which would increase the BAC at a higher rate than men.  (If you decrease the amount of blood in a system, the amount of alcohol necessary to achieve intoxication also decreases)

The reason for having separate guidelines for men and women is the direct results of research findings that most women become more intoxicated than men at an equivalent dosage of alcohol.  Relatively speaking, the difference is a result of the difference in activity of enzymes in stomach tissue and how it metabolizes the alcohol before it reaches the bloodstream.

If you are arrested or charged with drunk driving in Howard County or anyplace else in Maryland, call defense attorney Charles J. Ware immediately.  He can help you.  Guaranteed.