When you get together with your friends or go out on a date with your spouse, you might be among many others in Mississippi who like to have a beer, glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage with their meals. As long as you are age 21 or older, that’s perfectly legal. As a conscientious citizen, you know you’re responsible for the choices you make regarding alcohol consumption and operating motor vehicles. The last way you want your evening to end is behind county jail bars.
You might wonder how it could be that prosecutors could charge you with DUI if you consumed a minimal amount of alcohol before driving. Others have asked the same question who didn’t understand how various physiological factors can impact alcohol effects in the body. The bottom line is that, if you wind up facing charges, things will likely go a lot more smoothly in court if you act alongside experienced guidance.
Two beers may be fine for some but not for others
Mississippi law considers blood alcohol content of .08 or above to be legal intoxication, prohibiting motor vehicle operation in most situations. The following information explains why alcohol affects different people in different ways:
- A major factor that determines how alcohol acts in a particular person’s bloodstream is human body weight. Regardless how old you are, if you are light-weighted, it may not take very much alcohol to raise your BAC to a legal intoxication level.
- People who weigh more typically have more water in their bodies.
- Water is the main transport mechanism that distributes alcohol through the body.
- This means alcohol may be in a more diluted state in a person of higher body weight.
- Height and other factors also affect alcohol in the bloodstream.
You may think it’s okay to have a beer, spend a couple hours chatting with friends, eat a few snacks, drink some water or coffee, then grab your keys and go. However, depending on your personal body factors and other issues, you may or may not have a BAC within legal limits for driving. If a problem arises, the fastest way to begin resolving it is to know ahead of time where to turn for help.
For most Mississippi motorists, a go-to resource in such situations is an experienced defense attorney. Not only can such an alliance help with personal rights protection, it is also often the best means for avoiding conviction.
