Many Wisconsin drivers may be under the assumption that their blood alcohol concentrations go up and down exclusively based on how much they have had to drink. While alcohol intake does directly affect BAC, other factors can play into how a breath test will read a person's level of intoxication. Knowing these factors can help a person decide if he should refuse to take a breath or chemical test.
Gender is a factor that can impact how high a person's BAC climbs. A man and a woman with equal weights and who drink the same amount generally will have different BAC levels with the woman's being higher. In addition to gender, a person's weight can also impact BAC as larger people absorb alcohol more slowly.
The types of foods and medications that a person consumes prior to drinking can affect how his BAC reads on a breathalyzer test. A person with an empty stomach will experience the full impact of consumed alcohol faster than a person who drinks with food in his system. Additionally, some medications and drugs can be inhibited by the presence of alcohol or can enhance the influences of alcohol in a person's body.
Knowing how alcohol affects a person's system through weight, gender, food consumption, and drug use can help him decide if it is wise to submit to a breathalyzer test. However, as previously discussed on this blog, Wisconsin is an implied consent state, and anyone who drives on its roads automatically consents to such testing when they get behind the wheel. This post is not intended to encourage or discourage readers from taking or refusing breathalyzer tests; every individual must decide if a chemical test refusal is right for him. Those readers with questions can contact Wisconsin DUI attorneys for more information on BAC testing.
Source: The George Washington University Center for Alcohol & Other Drug Education, "Alcohol Absorption," accessed Nov. 12, 2014