Glossary
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Drivers in all 50 states and D.C. are considered to be alcohol-impaired if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Any fatality occurring in a crash involving at least one driver, or motorcycle operator, with a BAC of .08 or higher is considered to be an alcohol-impaired driving fatality. The term alcohol-impaired does not indicate that a crash or a fatality was the result of alcohol impairment. In producing national and state alcohol-impaired statistics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates the extent of alcohol involvement when alcohol test results are unknown.
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Alcohol-involved fatalities are those where at least one driver, or motorcycle operator, has a positive BAC of .01 or higher. In producing national and state alcohol-involved statistics, NHTSA estimates the extent of alcohol involvement when alcohol test results are unknown.
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A fatality is considered alcohol-related if either the driver or anyone else involved in the police reported crash, other than a passenger (e.g., a pedestrian or bicyclist), has alcohol in their blood stream (a BAC level of .01 or more). For example, if a pedestrian with a BAC of .01 steps off the curb in front of a sober driver and is killed by that driver, this fatality is included in alcohol-related traffic statistics. If a driver who has been drinking hits a car with two sober people in it and kills both, those two fatalities are considered alcohol-related. In producing national and state alcohol-related statistics, NHTSA estimates the extent of alcohol involvement when alcohol test results are unknown.
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Definition of Binge Drinking.
According to the government, binge drinking is defined as occasions of heavy drinking measured by the consumption of five or more (for males) and four or more (for females) drinks in a row at least once in the past two weeks.
See other alcohol related terms and definitions
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BAC is measured in grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. A BAC of .01 indicates .01 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. As of July 2004, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation establishing a driver with a BAC of .08 to be legally intoxicated. Additionally, 42 states and the District of Columbia have laws and penalties for those who drive with elevated or “high” BAC levels.
For more information, see our BAC Calculator - the B4U Drink Educator.
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Hardcore drunk drivers drive with a high BAC of .15 or above, do so repeatedly, as demonstrated by having more than one drunk driving arrest, and are highly resistant to changing their behavior despite previous sanctions, treatment or education efforts.
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Five or more drinks on the same occasion on 5 or more days in the past 30 days.
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The rate of alcohol-impaired (or alcohol-related) fatalities per 100,000 population is the number of alcohol-impaired (or alcohol-related) fatalities for every 100,000 persons in the population being measured. For example, an alcohol-impaired fatality rate of 4.3 per 100,000 population nationally means that for every 100,000 people in the nation, there were approximately four alcohol-impaired fatalities.
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According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the federal government's official nutrition policy defines a standard drink of alcohol as 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits, 12 ounces of regular beer or 5 ounces of wine.
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Since 1988, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws that make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase or publicly possess alcoholic beverages. While each state’s law varies and may contain exceptions (e.g., religious ceremonies) it is generally considered illegal for anyone under 21 to consume alcohol. Underage drinking refers to the consumption of beverage alcohol, defined as defined as a can or bottle of beer, a glass of wine or a wine cooler, a shot of liquor, or a mixed drink with liquor in it, by persons 20 years of age and younger.
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Women have less fluid in their bodies than men of the same weight, so there's less water to dilute the alcohol. So with the same amount of alcohol, women will generally feel and experience the effects of alcohol more than men.