BAC Chart by Weight
For men and women, 100 to 240 lbs. Plus every BAC level from 0.02 to 0.40 and what it actually feels like.
A BAC chart shows how high your blood alcohol climbs for your weight, sex, and number of drinks. BAC drops about 0.015 per hour: subtract that for each hour since your first drink. Three drinks at 160 lbs put a man at 0.077 at peak; three hours after his first drink, he's around 0.032.
Below you'll find every level, from the first buzz to alcohol poisoning, then one chart for men and one for women. Averages lie, bodies differ, so set your weight and find your own spot.
Find your spot on the chart
Enter your weight, sex, and number of drinks (US standard drinks, 14 g of alcohol each). The arrow shows how high you'd peak, and the charts below highlight your stage and your weight column.
BAC levels and effects
Every blood alcohol level from 0.00 to 0.40, in three units, and what each stage feels like from the inside.
| Level: % BAC = mg/dL = ‰ | Stage — what's happening | Standard drinks for you (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.00% = 0 mg/dL = 0‰ | Sober0.00% BAC No measurable alcohol at work. Your baseline — reaction, judgment and memory all running normally. | 0 |
| 0.02% = 20 mg/dL = 0.2‰ | Mild buzz0.02–0.05% · 0.2–0.5‰ Warmth, light relaxation, small talk gets easier. Judgment already begins to soften — you just don't notice it yet. | ~1 |
| 0.04% = 40 mg/dL = 0.4‰ | ~1.5 | |
| 0.06% = 60 mg/dL = 0.6‰ | Tipsy → drunk0.06–0.10% · 0.6–1‰ Reaction time and coordination measurably drop. This is where “one more” decisions start being made by the alcohol, not by you. | ~2.5 |
| 0.08% = 80 mg/dL = 0.8‰ | ~3 | |
| 0.10% = 100 mg/dL = 1‰ | ~4 | |
| 0.12% = 120 mg/dL = 1.2‰ | Drunk0.11–0.15% · 1.1–1.5‰ Speech loosens, balance wobbles, emotions swing wider. Most people underestimate their level right here — the peak is still climbing. | ~4.5 |
| 0.14% = 140 mg/dL = 1.4‰ | ~5.5 | |
| 0.16% = 160 mg/dL = 1.6‰ | Heavily drunk0.16–0.24% · 1.6–2.4‰ Nausea, blackout risk climbs, memory gaps likely. The morning is already lost — the question is how much of tomorrow goes with it. | ~6.5 |
| 0.18% = 180 mg/dL = 1.8‰ | ~7 | |
| 0.20% = 200 mg/dL = 2‰ | ~8 | |
| 0.22% = 220 mg/dL = 2.2‰ | ~8.5 | |
| 0.24% = 240 mg/dL = 2.4‰ | ~9.5 | |
| 0.26% = 260 mg/dL = 2.6‰ | Stupor & blackout0.25–0.30% · 2.5–3‰ Confusion, vomiting, passing out. Memory stops recording. At this level a person needs watching, not another round. | ~10 |
| 0.28% = 280 mg/dL = 2.8‰ | ~11 | |
| 0.30% = 300 mg/dL = 3‰ | ~12 | |
| 0.32% = 320 mg/dL = 3.2‰ | Life-threatening0.31–0.40% · 3.1–4‰ Breathing and heart rate can be suppressed. This is alcohol poisoning territory — an emergency, not a hangover in the making. | ~12.5 |
| 0.34% = 340 mg/dL = 3.4‰ | ~13.5 | |
| 0.36% = 360 mg/dL = 3.6‰ | ~14 | |
| 0.38% = 380 mg/dL = 3.8‰ | ~15 | |
| 0.40% = 400 mg/dL = 4‰ | 15+ |
Drink counts are peak estimates for the weight and sex set above. One drink = one US standard drink (14 g of alcohol): a 12 oz beer, a 5 oz glass of wine, or a 1.5 oz shot. With food and a slower pace, the same count lands lower.
A row isn't a verdict — your level keeps falling, hour by hour, as the body clears alcohol. How long alcohol stays in your system →
BAC chart for men
| Drinks | Body weight, lbs | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 240 | |
| 1 | 0.041 | 0.034 | 0.029 | 0.026 | 0.023 | 0.020 | 0.019 | 0.017 |
| 2 | 0.082 | 0.068 | 0.058 | 0.051 | 0.045 | 0.041 | 0.037 | 0.034 |
| 3 | 0.123 | 0.102 | 0.088 | 0.077 | 0.068 | 0.061 | 0.056 | 0.051 |
| 4 | 0.163 | 0.136 | 0.117 | 0.102 | 0.091 | 0.082 | 0.074 | 0.068 |
| 5 | 0.204 | 0.170 | 0.146 | 0.128 | 0.113 | 0.102 | 0.093 | 0.085 |
| 6 | 0.245 | 0.204 | 0.175 | 0.153 | 0.136 | 0.123 | 0.111 | 0.102 |
| 7 | 0.286 | 0.238 | 0.204 | 0.179 | 0.159 | 0.143 | 0.130 | 0.119 |
| 8 | 0.327 | 0.272 | 0.233 | 0.204 | 0.182 | 0.163 | 0.149 | 0.136 |
| 9 | 0.368 | 0.306 | 0.263 | 0.230 | 0.204 | 0.184 | 0.167 | 0.153 |
| 10 | 0.409 | 0.340 | 0.292 | 0.255 | 0.227 | 0.204 | 0.186 | 0.170 |
BAC chart for women
| Drinks | Body weight, lbs | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 240 | |
| 1 | 0.051 | 0.042 | 0.036 | 0.032 | 0.028 | 0.025 | 0.023 | 0.021 |
| 2 | 0.101 | 0.084 | 0.072 | 0.063 | 0.056 | 0.051 | 0.046 | 0.042 |
| 3 | 0.152 | 0.126 | 0.108 | 0.095 | 0.084 | 0.076 | 0.069 | 0.063 |
| 4 | 0.202 | 0.168 | 0.144 | 0.126 | 0.112 | 0.101 | 0.092 | 0.084 |
| 5 | 0.253 | 0.210 | 0.180 | 0.158 | 0.140 | 0.126 | 0.115 | 0.105 |
| 6 | 0.303 | 0.253 | 0.216 | 0.189 | 0.168 | 0.152 | 0.138 | 0.126 |
| 7 | 0.354 | 0.295 | 0.253 | 0.221 | 0.196 | 0.177 | 0.161 | 0.147 |
| 8 | 0.404 | 0.337 | 0.289 | 0.253 | 0.224 | 0.202 | 0.184 | 0.168 |
| 9 | 0.455 | 0.379 | 0.325 | 0.284 | 0.253 | 0.227 | 0.207 | 0.189 |
| 10 | 0.505 | 0.421 | 0.361 | 0.316 | 0.281 | 0.253 | 0.230 | 0.210 |
One drink = one US standard drink, 14 g of pure alcohol: a 12 oz beer at 5%, a 5 oz glass of wine at 12%, or a 1.5 oz shot of 80-proof spirits.
These are peak values, before your body clears any alcohol. Colors match the stages in the levels chart above, and the bold line marks 0.08.
Weight not listed? Get your exact number in the BAC calculator →How many drinks is 0.08?
Straight from the charts above: a 140-lb man reaches 0.08% BAC at about 2.7 drinks, so somewhere between two and a half and three. A 140-lb woman gets there at 2.2. At 180 lbs it's 3.5 for men and 2.9 for women; at 220 lbs, 4.3 and 3.5. Those are US standard drinks, drunk close together and counted at peak.
For the weight and sex set above: 0.08% is roughly 3 drinks, 0.15% about 6, and 0.24% about 9.5. Change the weight or sex and the numbers move with you.
Real evenings rarely go that fast. Pace, food, and the hours between drinks pull the curve down, which is why two people with the same count end up in different rows.
Get your exact number with the BAC calculatorHow does gender affect BAC?
Women usually reach a higher BAC than men from the same drinks, even at the same body weight. On average, women have less body water to dilute the alcohol and less of the stomach enzyme that breaks some of it down before it reaches the bloodstream. So on the chart, every stage comes sooner: a level a man hits on his fourth drink can show up on her third.
Take three drinks. At 160 lbs, a man peaks around 0.077% and a woman around 0.095%. Now a typical couple: he's 180 lbs, she's 140. He lands at 0.068, she at 0.108. Same round, but only one of them is over 0.08. That's why this page has two charts, not one.
When BAC gets dangerous
From about 0.25% BAC (2.5‰) alcohol stops being about being drunk and starts suppressing the systems that keep you alive: breathing slows, the reflexes that protect your airway fade, body temperature drops. Passing out at this level is not “sleeping it off” — it's the body shutting down.
Signs of alcohol poisoning
- Can't be woken up, or drifts out mid-sentence
- Slow or irregular breathing, with long pauses between breaths
- Cold, clammy, pale or bluish skin
- Vomiting while half-conscious or unresponsive
If you see these signs — call emergency services. Stay with the person and keep them on their side.
Levels this high rarely come from one drink too many — they come from a pace the body's elimination can't catch. A slower rhythm is the one lever that always works.
The chart says average. Your curve says you
Every row above is a population average. The same three drinks land differently depending on your weight, sex, food, and how fast the evening moves. A chart can show you the map — it can't show your position on it.
See your exact curve with the BAC calculatorBAC to promille, mg/dL, and mmol/L
Percent BAC, promille, and mg/dL are the same measurement in different units: 0.08% BAC = 0.8‰ = 80 mg/dL. Multiply % BAC by 10 for promille, by 1,000 for mg/dL. Some lab reports use mmol/L instead: divide mg/dL by 4.607, so 80 mg/dL ≈ 17.4 mmol/L.
Type in any field and the others follow. Same reading, different units.
So a blood alcohol level of 80 mg/dL is 0.08% BAC, 200 is 0.20%, and 300 is 0.30%. The levels chart above lists %, mg/dL, and promille in every row. This tool only converts units; it doesn't interpret a test result.
Printable BAC charts
Frequently asked questions
Is a BAC of 0.2 high?
Yes, very. 0.20% BAC (2.0‰) sits in the heavily drunk range: nausea, memory gaps, high blackout risk. On the charts above, a 160-lb man gets there after about 8 drinks in quick succession, a 160-lb woman after 6 or 7. Anything above 0.25% is alcohol-poisoning territory, and the person needs someone keeping an eye on them.
What BAC is tipsy vs drunk?
Tipsy usually means 0.02–0.05% BAC (0.2–0.5‰) — warm, relaxed, a bit chattier. Drunk starts around 0.08% (0.8‰), where reaction time and coordination measurably drop. Between the two sits the slide where each extra drink feels smaller than it is.
Is 0.08 drunk?
By feel, yes for most people: 0.08% BAC (0.8‰) means slowed reactions, softer judgment and visible coordination changes — the border of the tipsy-to-drunk band in the chart above. How fast you get there depends on your body and your pace, not just the count.
How long does it take for a 0.12 BAC to reach zero?
Rough math: the body clears about 0.015% BAC per hour, so 0.12% takes around eight hours to reach zero — more if your elimination runs slower than average. For your body and your actual evening, use the time-to-zero link above: it counts from your drinks, not from averages.
Is 0.08 BAC the same as 0.8 promille?
Yes. Promille is one-tenth of a percent, so% BAC × 10 =‰: 0.08% BAC = 0.8‰, 0.15% = 1.5‰, 0.24% = 2.4‰. Same measurement, two scales — the table above lists both in every row.
Does drinking water lower BAC?
No. Water doesn't flush alcohol out of your blood; only time brings BAC down, at about 0.015% per hour. What water can do is slow you down. A glass between drinks stretches the evening, and a slower pace means a lower peak.
What is a normal blood alcohol level?
Zero. A sober person's BAC is 0.00%: the body doesn't produce alcohol in any meaningful amount. Any number above that comes from what you drank, and it falls by about 0.015% per hour until you're back to zero.
Sources
- Die theoretischen Grundlagen und die praktische Verwendbarkeit der gerichtlich-medizinischen Alkoholbestimmung. Widmark E.M.P., Urban & Schwarzenberg, 1932.
- Drunk Driving: Effects of Blood Alcohol Concentration. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
- What Is A Standard Drink? National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Numbers on this page come from our calculation model, built on the research above. They're estimates for a typical body, not a medical or legal assessment.