How Presence of Alcohol is Detected in a DUI Case: 

An Overview

Being accused of a DUI charge may prove to be quite a dreadful experience and may impact the future course of career path and freedom. An individual may be charged of a DUI if the BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) level exceeds the limit of 0.08% or in case the driving is impaired. Everybody does not get affected by alcohol in the same way, however, per conventional wisdom, in case there is excessive alcohol present in a person’s bloodstream, the outcome might prove to have bigger consequences.

How Alcohol Leads to a DUI Charge

Alcohol reaches the human brain in almost few seconds after it enters the bloodstream, producing a depressant effect that further results in:

•    Less efficiency in hearing and vision.

•    Clumsiness or problems in the process of muscular coordination.

•    Deterioration of self-control or judgment (loss of inhibition and euphoria).

It is important to hire a qualified DUI attorney who can guide the accused regarding the legal procedure to be conducted and what will be the ideal legal course of action. In general, the extent of alcohol present in the bloodstream initially depends on how the person consumes and:

•    How fast the alcohol is being absorbed by the bloodstream.

•    How fast the alcohol is eliminated from bloodstream.

Absorption of Alcohol into Bloodstream

At the time of alcohol consumption, it is absorbed by bloodstream through the mucous lining present in the gastrointestinal tract including stomach, oesophagus and small intestine quite faster as it passes down into the tract. For an average person, around 60% of alcohol consumed will be absorbed by blood within the duration of half an hour, around 90% within an hour and the whole amount within one and half an hour. However, this depends on other crucial factors like concentration of alcohol present in drink, amount of alcohol consumed, rate of drinking, nature of diluting material present in the stomach and many more.

Alcohol leaves the human body in two major ways:

•    Metabolism or oxidation

•    Excretion

The major proportion of alcohol is either metabolized, oxidized mainly in the liver in order to form carbon dioxide (this gas, in general, dissolves into the blood and thereafter flows into the lungs and then exhaled). However, the rate of oxidation depends on the how properly functional the person’s liver is. For instance, liver of the regular drinkers’ burns alcohol faster easily in comparison to the casual drinkers. The remaining proportion of alcohol in the body is eliminated or excreted without any chemical reaction via, sweat, urine and through breath.

Calculating the BAC level is of utmost importance while, investigating on a DUI charge. The DUI laws vary from state to state and for a person being accused of a DUI charge, it is strongly recommended to seek specialized assistance of a skilled DUI attorney, who has commendable expertise in DUI cases, and skilled representation and understanding of BAC science.