PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - America West crew arrested @ MIA (Update - Sentences)
Old 2nd Jul 2002, 14:03
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Covenant
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
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AFAIK, the final test, which is used in court, is a BAC test taken directly from a blood sample. This level is then extrapolated back to the time of arrest, assuming a standard rate of metabolism. So, while you can claim that you recently took cold medicine or gargled with listerine or even had a shot of brandy, the truth will out in the end.

To give you an example of just how drunk BAC levels this high make you, check out this web site:

Specific Effects Related to BAC

This table puts these pilots very firmly in the "Slight impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing. Euphoria. Judgement and self- control are reduced, and caution, reason and memory are impaired" category and bordering on the "Significant impairment of motor coordination and loss of good judgement. Speech may be slurred; balance, vision, reaction time and hearing will be impaired. Euphoria. It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle at this level of intoxication"

Obviously parameters vary between different people, but the BAC registered equates to about 3 or 4 shots drunk in the space of less than an hour immediately prior to the test.
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