You have likely heard that drinking a beer or taking a shot of liquor increases your blood alcohol level by about 0.02. However, there are a number of other factors that might determine your true level of impairment after consuming an alcoholic beverage in Florida.
Are you drinking on an empty stomach?
Ideally, you will consume foods that are high in protein prior to consuming alcohol. Doing so means that it will take longer for the alcohol to be fully absorbed into your bloodstream. Depending on how many drinks you consume, it may take up to six hours before you reach your peak blood alcohol level. If you drink on an empty stomach, you may feel the full effect of each beverage within 30 minutes. A DUI defense attorney might be able to assert that an empty stomach caused a chemical test to wrongfully determine that you were legally impaired when you were taken into custody.
Your mood can impact your blood alcohol level
If you are stressed, your body may process alcohol differently than it might if you were relaxed or content. It’s important to note that the act of consuming alcohol can have an impact on your mood. You may start to notice that you become sad, anxious, or depressed after finishing two or three drinks.
A police officer will likely use your blood alcohol content as a justification for taking you into custody on a DUI charge. However, it may be possible to assert that a breath mint, an acid reflux problem, or some other issue skewed the results of a blood, urine, or Breathalyzer test. This might be enough to get a charge dropped before or during a trial.