[Caramelgal]

I am not an alcoholic and I have never drank much at all, but i talked with my husband, who has been recovering for 7 years and spent MANY more than that as an avid practicing alcoholic. I was wondering how .12 would affect an alcoholic so severely. I doubt it and so does he. Perhaps there was something else in his system????

I understand your doubt and that of your recovering spouse. (congrats to you both BTW). It’s hard to say. I can only speak to my experience and what I’ve heard from others and their stories and from what I’ve read from the medical community.

The great puzzle of the alcoholic’s constitution is that we can have an extremely high tolerance for alcohol at some point – I could once drink any man, twice or three times my size right under the table without even trying (and of this I used to be very proud) but as the disease (or addiction if you like) progressed, the tolerance changed and at some point a much smaller amount caused a higher level of intoxication and loss of control than what was needed before. The effects became much more unpredictable.

I would not automatically assume that other substances were involved but then the alcoholic may and some do seek and turn to other drugs to either moderate or enhance the effects of the booze.

Only a full tox screen or his personal admission would tell the full story. In the end it doesn’t really matter. Alcohol is a drug, a mood altering, mind-altering drug. Unlike other drugs, it can be legally purchased and consumed and enjoyed socially and it is not addictive to the extent of drugs like heroine or cocaine but to the addictive, a drug is a drug.

[Eric Blair 2084]

As a trained professional beer drinker (professional drinker on a closed course do not attempt this at home), that was my first reaction.

.12? That's 4 beers for a man who weighs 200 pounds like Mel Gibson. That is hardly enough to be so drunk as to start spouting stupidity and racial epithets to law enforcement officials.

Ted Kennedy has probably voted on many bills with a BAC twice that.

There is something else going on here.

[Shimmer128]

Thanks for all the info. Dh never reached the point of getting more sensitive, and hasn't had to start over in 7 years, so i guess he didn't have experience like you mention.
Good to know.