Final answer:
Women may have higher BAC than men because they generally have more body fat and less muscle mass. Muscle mass contributes to a higher metabolism of alcohol, hence men tend to metabolize alcohol faster. Women's higher fat content and slower metabolism rate contribute to a quicker rise in BAC levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
Females may achieve higher blood alcohol concentration (BAC) than males because women have on average more fat and less muscle mass than men. Muscle tissue, which men generally have more of, is associated with a higher basal metabolic rate (BMR), allowing for alcohol to be metabolized more quickly. Since females generally have a higher percentage of body fat, the same amount of alcohol intake tends to result in a higher BAC. Fat does not absorb alcohol as well, which contributes to women reaching higher BAC levels faster. Moreover, alcohol is removed from the bloodstream by metabolic reactions that occur at a slightly slower rate in women than in men, according to the given rate of alcohol metabolism.
Alcohol intoxication, defined as a BAC of greater than 5.4-17.4 mmol/L (25-80 mg/dL or 0.025-0.080%), has risk factors including social situations and personality traits. The rate at which alcohol is metabolized in the human body is about 3.3 mmol/L (15 mg/dL) per hour. Given that women have more fat tissue, which can vary with age, physical activity, and hormones, their optimal fat content is different, and their metabolism of alcohol differs accordingly.