MONITORING Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) The amount of alcohol in your blood is called your Blood Alcohol Level (BAL). It is recorded in milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, or milligrams percent. For example, a BAL of 0.10 means that 1/10 of 1% (or 1/1000) of your total blood content is alcohol. When you drink alcohol, it goes directly from your stomach into your bloodstream. This is why the effects of alcohol typically come on quite quickly, especially if you haven't eaten in a while. BAL depends on: 1. Amount of blood (which will increase with weight) and 2. Amount of alcohol you consume over time (the faster you drink, the higher your BAL, as the liver can only handle about one drink per day). Now). -the rest accumulates in the bloodstream). Understanding the effects of an increasing BAL can be very helpful in controlling your alcohol consumption. Below are the consequences of various blood alcohol levels, taken from a book by William R. Miller and Ricardo F. Munoz entitled "How to Control your Drinking: A Practical Guide to Responsible Drinking (1982):.02 MELLOW FEELING . SLIGHT BODY HEAT. LESS Start ... less relaxed. AND CLEARLY DRUNK MOVEMENT...