Veeravan Lekskulchai PhD*, Somdee Rattanawibool MD*
Affiliation : * Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University
Objective : The present study aimed to investigate if drinking one standard drink per hour could keep blood
alcohol concentration below the legal limit of 0.05% in Thai men and women.
Materials and Methods : After overnight fast, 15 healthy Thai men and 15 healthy Thai women received 12 g of
ethanol by drinking beer, rum, or carbonate mixed rum and their blood alcohol concentrations were moni-
tored every 15 min for 1 hours.
Results : With one standard drink or 12 g of ethanol per hour, both Thai men and women had blood alcohol
concentrations below 0.05%. At 45 min after drinking, women had significantly higher blood alcohol concen-
trations than men (p < 0.05). There was an inverse correlation between blood alcohol concentrations and the
person’s body weight. Blood alcohol concentrations were very low when alcoholic beverage was taken
immediately after a meal. However, drinking alcohol along with a snack had no effect on blood alcohol
concentrations. Drinking carbonate mixed rum led to the highest blood alcohol levels, followed by beer either
rapidly drinking or sipping and pure rum, respectively.
Conclusion : For Thai people, one standard drink per hour should be considered in the definition of safe level
of drinking for men and women driving motor vehicles. It will be safer if drinking immediately after a big meal.
Due to rapid absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream, drinking a beverage with low alcohol content could
inebriate more rapidly.
Keywords : Blood alcohol concentrations, One standard drink, Thai
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