You've heard the message about drinking and driving a number of times, but it's still important. While most states have a legal intoxication level that measures the concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream, doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say the metabolism of alcohol is a complex chemical process with a lot of variables. That means two people could have the same number of drinks, yet one could be legally drunk while the other one isn't. Variables include body weight, the percentage of weight that comes from body fat and what is drunk and how fast.
Women are more sensitive to alcohol than men, mainly because of their body composition.
Not only do they tend to weigh less, but a higher percentage of their body weight is made up of fat, which means alcohol will affect them more. If a person is taking certain medications, the effect of alcohol may be increased. But the blood-alcohol concentration isn't a definitive measurement of how impaired a person is, and just because you're not legally intoxicated doesn't mean it is safe to drive. Some people may be seriously impaired even at legal levels. The only way to go out drinking and know you won't be arrested for driving while drunk or cause an accident is to plan ahead and take a cab or have a designated driver who doesn't drink at all that evening.