Final answer:
Coma due to alcohol intoxication typically occurs at a blood alcohol concentration of around 0.30%. The liver metabolizes alcohol at a steady rate, and recovery from high BAC levels requires time. The legal limit of intoxication is 0.08%, with serious risks occurring at significantly higher levels.
Step-by-step explanation:
Blood Alcohol Concentration and Coma
The risk of coma due to alcohol intoxication greatly increases at higher levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Symptoms can vary greatly between individuals due to a variety of factors such as age, sex, body weight, and overall health. However, the onset of coma typically occurs at a BAC of around 0.30%. It is critical to understand that alcohol metabolism is a fixed process, with the liver breaking down alcohol at an approximate rate of 3.3 mmol/L (15 mg/dL) per hour, regardless of interventions like drinking coffee or taking a shower. Therefore, the only way to ensure recovery from high BAC levels is to give the body enough time to metabolize the alcohol.
As BAC levels rise, the effects on the body intensify, moving from euphoria and reduced alertness to the risk of unconsciousness and coma. At a BAC around 0.50%, the situation becomes life-threatening and can result in death. For safety and legal reasons, a person is considered legally intoxicated with a BAC of 0.08%, with severe impairments to judgment and motor skills apparent well before coma-inducing levels are reached.