Thinking About Drinking

What are the effects of drinking alcohol?

See what happens over time to one’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (or BAC) following the consumption of alcohol. This “system” involves three stages or flows: alcohol first enters the stomach, then is absorbed into the body, and finally is expelled. Each stage involves different amounts of time that are influenced by a number of personal characteristics.

Because different BAC levels impact a number of behaviors that can put one at risk (including a BAC level of .08%, which renders it illegal to drive), it is important to understand the implications of consuming alcohol.

Students are encouraged to use this simulation to explore how (a) different patterns of drinking involving (b) people with different physical characteristics affects BAC levels up to 12 hours following consumption.