Is there a legal limit for alcohol while driving? Alcohol calculator and allowed blood alcohol levels.

There are two ways to indicate the proportion of ethyl alcohol in an alcoholic beverage:

• in degrees, for example 40°
• as a percentage, for example 40%.

The degree indicates the percentage of alcohol in the drink. by weight.

The percentage, in turn, indicates the proportion of alcohol by volume or by weight. Without clarification, such a measure does not make sense, therefore, next to the percentage, it is usually indicated what the calculation is based on.

For example, 6.5% vol. or 6.5% vol. denotes the volume ratio of alcohol and other components.

Since the publication of the work of D. I. Mendeleev “On the combination of alcohol with water” in Russia and the countries of the former USSR, the alcohol content has traditionally been indicated in degrees.

In the USA, Great Britain and other countries of Western Europe, the concentration of alcohol is indicated in volume fractions: 40% vol. The disadvantage of this designation is that the measure does not take into account differences in the weight of water and alcohol, as well as the degree of purification of the alcohol itself.

Recently, domestic manufacturers have often begun to indicate the strength of drinks in percentages, and not in degrees, thereby misleading the consumer.

The easiest way to demonstrate the difference is with an example.

Most buyers or manufacturers of homemade alcohol always focus not only on taste, but also on the strength of the finished drink. It is this factor that determines how pleasant it will be to use it, as well as how much you need to drink in order to feel intoxicated.

Until now, some users have not yet learned how to determine the strength of alcoholic beverages. And although today manufacturers print this indicator on labels, buyers can not always understand the symbols. How to determine the strength of an alcoholic drink? What will help with this? How is the fortress determined and what are the parameters for this?

A measure of the strength of alcohol in Russia

The production of spirits is a complex production process, during which manufacturers use their additives or additional components to give them a more pleasant and mild taste, as well as a delicious aroma. Most of the categories in which such an alcoholic drink as vodka is presented in domestic stores are represented by such attractive names as "Choice", "Crystal", "Special", "Imperial" and many others. Regardless of which ingredients were used by the manufacturer during manufacture, the main components and components of the drink are rectified food alcohol and purified water.

Some shoppers are confused when they shop for traditional vodka and see labels such as 40°, 40% or 40% vol. on the bottles. Which vodka is stronger? Why are the notations so different? What is the best variety to buy?

In order to understand this issue, it is necessary to go back into history and understand how the fortress was determined by Russian winemakers and professional alcohol producers. Russian vodka began to be produced in the 15th century. At that time, the technology for producing food alcohol from grain raw materials was strikingly different from the methods and methods used by modern manufacturers. Vodka, which was produced at that time, had a small degree of purification, due to which fusel oils were removed, but which did not affect the percentage of alcohol in the drink.

Even before there was such a device as a hydrometer, with which the concentration of alcohol in water was determined, the strength of alcohol was determined using conventional ignition. A small amount of vodka or other strong liquor was poured into a small measuring ladle, then set on fire and waited until the flame went out. After that, they watched how the volume of liquid decreased and if about half burned out, then the drink has an optimal strength.

After 1885, new trends came to Russia from the West, among which was the retail trade in alcoholic beverages. Around the same time, the famous scientist D.I. Mendeleev proved that the optimal variant of a mixture of water with ethanol should be determined not by a measure of volume, but by a measure of mass. This means that out of 100% of the total volume of liquid, 40% should be alcohol. Since that time, the designation of the strength of alcoholic beverages has been adopted precisely in degrees.

After the experiments conducted by Mendeleev and the facts scientifically substantiated by him, a clear rule was introduced in the USSR, which stated that it was necessary to designate the alcohol content in an alcoholic beverage based on the weight fractions of the substance. And in order to make it clear to ordinary buyers, the strength on the label began to be denoted by a small circle, which was placed at the top, to the right of the number and meant that when pure alcohol was diluted with water, it was units of mass that were involved.

And how should we understand the “%” sign, which is also often found on labels with alcoholic products? This method of designating ethanol in alcoholic beverages also came to us from the West. But this method is not very correct, because it is difficult to determine whether the percentage is taken from mass or volume. And such a designation has already misled more than a dozen users who have little understanding of the difference between degrees and percentages.

And one more question that users often ask. Recently, along with the% sign, they put the letter abbreviation "vol.". This means that vodka was obtained by mixing volume fractions of alcohol and water and now has the designation 40% vol. Although many people think that we are talking about the abbreviated word turns, in fact, volume is implied here. As for foreign manufacturers of alcoholic beverages, they use a similar designation 40% Vol., which, together with the Russian counterpart, helps the user to understand that when making a strong drink, the ideal ratio of alcohol and water was achieved by measuring volumes.

Measure of fortress around the world

The system of strength of alcoholic beverages accepted and recognized throughout the world implies the use of % Vol. An alternative notation is as follows - % ABV. All three designations (% Vol., % ABV and % vol.) emphasize the same strength of the drink, but differ from the designation in the form (°), which denotes degrees.

The fortress, which is indicated in degrees, will be greater than the same indicator with the designation% Vol. In this case, the concentration of ethyl alcohol in vodka will be higher. As an example, 1 liter of vodka marked 40° contains 572 g of water and 381 g of ethyl alcohol. At the same time, vodka with the designation 40% by volume contains 635 g of water and 318 g of ethyl alcohol, which corresponds to approximately 35 degrees in terms of strength.

Although the strength can be affected by additional substances and ingredients used during the production of vodka, only experienced tasters are able to distinguish 3-5 degrees of difference in strength. For the bulk of consumers, this does not really matter, because everyone is sure that the designations convey the same information.

As for the development and formation of alcoholic products in the West, in Britain and America, the strength of alcohol was checked as follows. Standard gunpowder was moistened with alcohol and set on fire. If gunpowder was ignited, then the strength of the drink was proven, so the symbol in the 18th-19th centuries on the labels looked like proof (which means “proof” in English).

The same method was used by British sailors when they wanted to check if traditional rum was too diluted with water. But "British proof" (Br.proof) is equal to 57% by volume, because it takes into account not pure, but diluted ethyl alcohol, and a gallon is taken as a unit of volume, not a liter.

In 1980, Britain adopted the conventions of the international standard and joined other European countries in this, and the concept of proof became a thing of the past.

Although not all buyers and users are accustomed to studying the information on labels in such detail and separating vodka strength symbols from each other, attentive customers are glad that they can correctly navigate this issue.

(professional alcohol calculator)

It is designed to calculate the maximum concentration of alcohol in human blood in ppm () and in Blood Alcohol Concentration (%BAC) after the simultaneous use of a given amount of alcoholic beverages, as well as to calculate the time for removing alcohol from the body. Calculations are carried out according to the world-recognized formula of Erik Mateo Prohet Vidmark (Widmark Erik M.P.). The accuracy of calculations is 99%.

Attention! Calculations are carried out by you at your own peril and risk. The results of the calculations cannot serve as evidence in court, be the basis for legal and other claims, be used as any kind of evidence, as well as to challenge the results of laboratory determination of the concentration of ethanol in blood and urine.

The creators and developers of the site and this program do not bear any responsibility for attempts to use the results of calculations in legal disputes and their consequences. Don't drink and drive!

*S. Seidl, U. Jensen, A. Alt: The calculation of blood ethanol concentrations in males and females. In: International Journal of Legal Medicine. Band 114. 2000, S. 71-77

** Calculations for persons weighing less than 40 kg are not made. Calculations are also limited when the amount drunk is less than 10 and more than 5000 ml

The program is written by forensic doctors and for forensic doctors. If you find it difficult to understand, refer to a simplified version of the alcohol calculator or ask the experts on the FR forum

Permissible alcohol limit while driving

If you are a vigilant driver and wish to limit communication with law enforcement about "alcohol" violations, then alcohol calculator you just need. This electronic online tool serves to self-determine the amount of alcohol that has entered the bloodstream, based on the quality and quantity of alcoholic beverages taken.

Regardless of the reasons for taking alcohol, it is very important to remember that the abuse of cheerful drinks very often leads to sad irreversible consequences, however alcohol calculator can come to your aid. It is useful in the following cases:
- when you want to calculate for yourself the maximum possible alcohol dose;
- when after a strong feast you should drive;
- when you want to know when the effect of alcohol will become safe, and you will be able to drive without fear.

Having information about the current concentration of pure alcohol in your blood, which will show alcohol intoxication calculator without much difficulty, you can determine the time until sobering up and decide whether to drive a car for now. It will not be superfluous to remind you that drunk drivers are the cause of every third accident. The state, starting from August 2010, tightened the requirements for the permissible level of pure alcohol (in other words, ethanol) in exhaled air and blood.

From now on, the concentration of alcohol in the blood and air must be equal to zero. Because for drivers - it's just an indispensable tool. After all, if you do not want to lose your driver's license for 1.5 or even 2 years without passing the humiliating breathalyzer test, you need to worry about your alcoholic blood filler now.

Driver blood alcohol table

Do you want to create an individual table of alcohol excretion from the body for your data (sex, height, weight)? Use our program, which works on the algorithm of a professional calculator.

Alcohol calculator online

Even if you, as a driver, do not consume alcohol at all, then alcohol calculator online you'll still need it. Remember that a seemingly insignificant amount of pure alcohol is found in many products. So, even a slightly overripe banana and a cigarette contain 0.2 ppm, juice - 0.4 ppm, mouth freshener spray - up to 0.5 ppm. Both yeast kvass and fermented yogurt, kefir or yogurt can prevent a positive outcome of the breathalyzer test.

Worth using online alcohol calculator to check the alcohol content in the blood after taking certain drugs, including valerian, motherwort tincture, calendula, corvalol and others. All these drugs and products increase the concentration of alcohol in the blood after taking, however, for a short time. But how to insure yourself against inspection by the traffic police?

Blood alcohol calculator

How does it work alcohol content calculator online? You will need to specify in the program window: your weight and height (the higher the figures, the more alcohol you need to get drunk), gender (women generally get drunk many times faster than men), the alcohol content in each of the drinks consumed and their amount. In the program, you also have to indicate whether alcohol was taken on a full or empty stomach, since alcohol drunk on an empty stomach will intoxicate you faster and stay in the blood longer.

The program will also prompt you to enter the rate of alcohol removal from the blood (ppm per hour). You may not make any changes to blood alcohol calculator if these parameters are not clear to you - the result in this case will be 99% reliable. It is worth noting that the rate of excretion is largely dependent on the metabolic rate and on genes, since sensitivity to alcohol can also be inherited.

Withdrawal of alcohol from the body calculator

It is important to remember that, as mentioned above, in a single person, alcohol can linger in the blood for an unequal time, therefore alcohol weathering calculator may produce non-judgmental results. However, the average blood alcohol concentration is calculable. So, with different effects, in the body of an 80-kilogram man there will be 0.3 ppm of alcohol after taking two hundred grams of dry wine, or half a liter of beer, or fifty grams of vodka.

Enter in the form fields alcohol yield calculator the required information and get a reliable result of the maximum content of alcohol in your body, corresponding to a certain degree of intoxication, and the time of its complete elimination from the blood. As a result of the work of our online breathalyzer, you will receive a verdict: is it possible for you to drive a car or is it better to use a taxi.

The amount of alcohol in alcoholic beverages (wine, tinctures, vodka, etc.) is usually expressed in volume or weight percent, that is, in hundredths of a volume or parts by weight. This difference in the ways of expressing the composition of alcoholic beverages is explained both historically, that is, by the system, rule, tradition adopted for a particular country and a particular company that produces a drink, and the level of the technological scheme in the manufacture of this drink. So, until 1894, the alcohol content in vodka, its degree of strength was determined solely by volume, which was reflected in the corresponding technical names of vodkas: two-probe, three-probe, four-probe, etc. But after D.I. Mendeleev "reformed" vodka and scientifically proved that the composition of vodka, that is, the combination of grain alcohol with water, should take place not by simply merging volumes, but by accurately weighing a certain part of the alcohol, the percentage of alcohol in vodka, or its strength, began to be expressed in weight parts.

In practice, in the designations of vodka and wine labels, the alcohol content in alcoholic beverages is expressed in degrees, indicated by a number with a small circle at the top - 40 ° or 16 °. However, this rule is not always followed. Sometimes, especially at the level of individual republics, they resort to an unconventional expression of fortress - in percentage terms. For example, “Selective cognac, Ararat, ArmSSR, bottling of the Moscow Wine and Brandy Factory. Fortress 42%"; “Ukrainian girka with pepper, tincture of mschn. 40% (power - fortress) "; "Lemon Bitters. Moscow plant "Crystal". Fortress 40%. Such a designation as a percentage is accepted in some foreign countries and has recently been brought to our country under the influence of repatriates working in the relevant industries or in advertising related to the production of labels. This violation of the designations adopted in our country, of course, misleads consumers and should be regarded as technical and commercial illiteracy and, on this basis, subjected to appropriate sanctions.

The fact is that the indication of a percentage (%) does not say anything about what this percentage is calculated from - from weight or from volume. Abroad, where the production of alcoholic beverages is entirely left to individual firms, some of them consider it necessary to indicate some percentage to orient the buyer (for example, the Finnish liquor "Polyar", 29%), others, on the contrary, believe that no indication of strength in digital expression are impossible, especially in wines and liqueurs, because each batch of them is individual and their dignity is in their bouquet, and not in their arithmetic strength (this is done, for example, by Portuguese firms producing port wine (“Porto”), Italian firms, South French, etc. .)

In our country, a strict procedure for indicating the alcohol content in a drink has been adopted: when calculating weight percentages, the number of degrees is indicated - 40 °, 42 °, 45 °, 56 °. All this, as a rule, is strong and noble alcoholic drinks - vodka, cognac. At the same time, when calculating volume percentages, the designation on the labels looks like this:

Al Sharab. Table pink. Bakvinzavod No. 1, fortress 9 - 14% vol.,

"Mattress". Table red. Bakvinzavod No. 1, fortress 10 - 14% vol.,

"Cagor" № 32. Kuban vinogradagroprom, alcohol 16% vol.

The content of all other components of wines, which is indicated on the labels, is expressed exclusively in parts by weight. So, an indication of the sugar content of wines and liqueurs is calculated in weight, but indicated on the labels as follows: sugar 16%; sugar: 30 - 40 g / l, that is, grams per liter. Knowing the specific gravity of alcohol, or sugar, or other ingredients contained in an alcoholic beverage, it is possible, following the data on the labels, to always convert volume parts (percentages) into weight parts and vice versa. Sometimes the amount of titratable acids is also indicated, especially in wines specially composed, newly invented, "author's". So, in the white dessert wine "Smile" (Gelendzhik), the fortress is 15% vol., sugar. 14%, t. sour. 5-7 g/l.

Unlike vodka, the percentage of alcohol in which is always expressed in parts by weight, the alcohol content of whiskey in the USA, Great Britain and other Western European countries is expressed in volumes, which in some cases is reflected in the designations on the labels: Winchester. Scotch Whiskey 40% vol (that is, volumes). Adapting to "Western taste", that is, to the norms adopted in the West, in recent years our foreign trade organizations have also begun to indicate the strength of vodka not in degrees, but in percentages ("Moscow Special" 40%), not realizing that thereby completely smeared fundamental difference between vodka and whiskey.

Due to the fact that in the West there was a tradition not to take into account the fact of contraction (compression) of alcohol and to calculate (until the middle of the 20th century) the strength of alcoholic beverages based not on a real assessment of the blend, but on the basis of the components introduced into the blend, along with the now accepted Russian one, Mendeleev, the system for determining the strength of vodka and whiskey, the former, familiar to the Western European consumer, the evaluation system has also been preserved. This old, "inflated" fortress rating system is indicated in brackets along with the modern one:

Moscow Special Vodka 40° (70° Br. Proof),

Smirnovskaya Vodka No. 21 (80° Proof),

"Scotch Whiskey" 40% vol (70° Proof),

Vodka "Jubilee" 45% (79° Proof),

"Strong" vodka 56% (98° Proof).

Based on the linguistic meaning of this designation, it is, as it were, considered “practical” and is opposed to Russian, “theoretical”. In fact, everything is just the opposite: the Russian designation of the strength of alcohol is the most realistic: it is an accurate assessment of the alcohol content in a drink by weight. The English designation is actually pseudo-practical, because it takes into account only the formal, purely technical degree of distillation of alcohol, which served as a raw material, as a source for obtaining whiskey or vodka, but does not tell us anything at all about what we actually consume; it does not take into account the most complex biochemical and physical transformations that alcohol experiences at concentration, interacting with water, it does not take into account all the fundamental difference that exists between whiskey and vodka. Objectively, scientifically, the "degree" of the fortress has always been considered and continues to be one hundredth (0.01) part of anhydrous (100%) alcohol, which weighs 7.94 g. In England, since 1794, when scientific chemistry was not yet known, alcohol has been measured volume, like ordinary water, and not even the volume of anhydrous 100% alcohol, which was also not known then, but the volume of the so-called test, or practical, alcohol, designated Proof, in the unit of which there are only 57.3 volumes of anhydrous alcohol. In addition, in England, the calculation as a unit of measure does not come from 1 liter and not on the basis of the decimal system, but a gallon serves as a measure of volume - 4.5735 liters. That is why one should not at all imitate the West in this and give the strength of vodka in degrees according to the English system.

V.V. Pokhlebkin, "History of vodka"

Drivers who are forced to be tested by a breathalyzer are interested in the question of permissible ppm. The introduction of the definition of “the maximum permissible concentration of alcohol in the blood” made it possible to think that it is possible to drink, but only to the required degree, so that the readings of the breathalyzer are not too exceeded. But you should know what the measuring device shows, how to read and interpret it correctly.

Promille: designation of the concept

Before determining the volume of alcohol consumed, characterized by one or another value in ppm, one should understand the unit of measurement itself. It does not hurt to find out what dose of alcohol is taken per unit, the effect of a standard dose on human behavior and other parameters. So ppm is a thousandth of a percent. Being one of the smallest and most accurate units, the indicator is calculated as follows: 1% contains 10 ppm. It is this unit that is taken for calculating alcohol in the laboratory, since the percentage ratio turns out to be too large an indicator.

Important! When calculating and interpreting the testimony, one should take into account the gender of the person, his weight and metabolism. The toxic effect of alcohol varies: for women, the standard is 60%, for men 65-75%, so the same dose of drinks accumulates ppm faster in the female body.

How many ppm is in alcoholic beverages?

Is one ppm in the blood a lot or a little? Keep in mind rules such as:

1. A half-liter bottle of vodka contains 200 ml of pure alcohol, which is converted to 2.5 ‰ (per mille designation) in the body of a healthy man weighing 75 kg. Such breathalyzer readings are classified as serious intoxication.

1. Cognac shows about the same as vodka - 2.5 ‰;
2. Half a liter of beer (one bottle) contains 0.32‰, that is, a quarter liter will show only 0.16‰ on the measuring device - but the same indicator can be attributed to the standard errors of the device.
3. A drink up to 12% with a volume of 0.7 liters will show 12‰.

Much depends on the degree and assimilation of the drink by a person. For example, champagne is quickly absorbed, showing ‰ on the tester, but it is also quickly excreted. And devices can also catch alcohol vapors contained in the exhalation - that is, those residues that remain in a person even after complete sobering up.

Self-calculation ppm

The highest peak in blood alcohol content occurs about half an hour after taking a dose. Knowing the calculation in units of ‰, it is easy to calculate the following values:

• The amount of ethyl alcohol in the body after some time;
• The volume of the drink;
• Alcohol release date.

You will need to clarify factors such as: gender, age, weight and volume of drink consumed from the very beginning. And now an example of calculating ppm:

• A man weighing 82 kg drank 0.5 liters of vodka;
• The mass of the liquid will be approximately 54.4 kg - the standards allow the volume of water in the male body to be up to 70%;
• The ethanol content in vodka is 500 * 0.4 = 200 ml, which in grams is 200 * 0.79 = 158 gr. (The index 0.79 is the density of undiluted ethanol). Theoretically, the content of 100% alcohol will be 142.2 grams. (158 gr. - 10%);
• Total calculation ‰ = 142.5/57.4 = 2.48‰.

The formula is extremely simple, so everyone can calculate the presence of ‰ in the body in a given period of time. It is important that the number of indications does not exceed the norms allowed by law. For ease of calculation, the following data are given - a separate table for women and men.

Men's blood alcohol concentration (‰) by weight and number of drinks drunk:

Blood alcohol concentration in women (‰) by weight and number of drinks drunk:

Permissible limits for breathalyzer readings

In order to correctly read the testimony, one should understand what norms are regulated in certain countries. In particular, the largest allowable rate is ‰1.00 in some US states. But Hungary, Czechoslovakia and a number of other countries do not allow the presence of alcohol in the blood at all, that is, ‰ = 0.00. In Russia, in 2008, a permissible norm of 0.3 ‰ was adopted, however, the law was adopted taking into account the errors of measuring instruments, the characteristics of the body, that is, the factors affecting the readings of the device. This situation led to a complete ban on the consumption of alcoholic beverages and “zero ‰”, which also turned out to be impossible due to the characteristics of the human body and inaccurate measurements on the breathalyzer.

In 2013, the allowable indicator returned again, amounting to 0.16‰ when exhaling or 0.3‰ in the blood. Breathalyzer readings in this interval are considered normal, no claims are made against drivers. However, the inaccuracy of these measuring instruments often leads to a situation where the slightest excess in ppm leads to the fact that the motorist is considered drunk and punished to the fullest extent of the law. There is only one way out - do not drink while driving, before the intended trip and let the alcohol leave the body after the previous rest.