Mobile Devices
- - Do you have a site for mobile devices?
- - What mobile devices do you support?
- - What if it doesn't work on my mobile device?
- - Can I use SMS?
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) Measurements
- - How is BAC estimated?
- - How accurate is the BAC estimate?
- - What factors affect BAC?
- - Why do the estimated BAC graphs have big steps in them?
Logging Drinks
Drink Logger Accounts
Mobile Devices
Do you have a site for mobile devices?
Yes. You can visit the version of our site optimized for mobile devices at: http://m.drinklogger.com. In addition, we offer a service that allows you to use SMS to track your drinking. You can read the details on SMS usage on our SMS page.
What mobile devices do you support?
The short answer is that we don't really know. There are a
For viewing the mobile version of our site we generally only support mobile devices that have web browsers on them that support javascript. Your browser does not need to support AJAX, we don't do anything fancy; but it does need to support basic javascript.
If our site doesn't work with the browser on your mobile device, we also support SMS.
What if it doesn't work on my mobile device?
Let us know by contacting us. If you do contact us let us know: 1) what type/model of device you are using; 2) what type of browser you are using; 3) what page(s) doesn't work and what you are seeing. We appreciate any and all feedback.
Can I use SMS?
Yes! You can use drinklogger to track your estimated blood alcohol content (BAC) using text messaging from your cell phone. Read all about it on our SMS page.
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) Measurements
How is BAC estimated?
At Drink Logger, we use Widmark's basic formula for calculating the estimated BAC over time. This formula is based on the gender and weight of the person drinking and makes assumptions about the rate of alcohol absorption and processing by the person drinking. This formula is the one used to create the standard charts that you see that describe BAC as a function of the number of drinks consumed.
The Widmark formula uses values to describe the absorption and processing of alcohol that are averages from studies that have been conducted. One outcome of these studies is that the rate of absorption and processing varies greatly from person to person. That is just one of the reasons that the BAC reported by Drink Logger is referred to as an estimate; if your absorption or processing differs from the average, the estimated BAC values that are computed will be incorrect as a result.
How accurate is the BAC estimate?
Unless you have a method of measuring your BAC over time as you drink and you can calibrate your BAC to the estimate provided by Drink Logger, you should assume that the estimated BAC is not accurate. It is only an estimate. How accurate it is will depend on the physiology of the person drinking, how accurately the alcohol content and amount of the consumed drinks is known, as well as environmental factors. As it is nearly impossible to know these additional factors with any certainty, it is also impossible to know how the accuracy the computed BAC.
For your own safety and for the safety of others, you should not assume that the estimated BAC is accurate.
What factors affect BAC?
Many factors can affect how alcohol is absorbed into your system and how your system eliminates alcohol, which in turn affects your BAC. Aside from weight and gender, some of these additional factors are:
- How much alcohol you've had to drink.
- How quickly you drink.
- Body mass and type (lean versus um, not-so-lean).
- Hydration levels.
- How much, and what type of, food you've eaten recently.
- Mixers used in mixed drinks.
- Time of day.
- Temperature.
- Level of activity.
- Tolerance.
- Medications, or other drugs.
- Mood, tiredness, or general fatigue levels.
Why do the estimated BAC graphs have big steps in them?
Alcohol is absorbed into the body over time. The rate of absorption is dependent on the person as well as other factors such as the other contents in the stomach and the amount of physical activity to name but two. It's impossible for Drink Logger to know the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into your system, we can't even make a guess.
Since Drink Logger can't know the rate of absorption, when you tell us that you are taking a drink all of the alcohol is added to your system at that time. That's why the plot of estimated BAC has abrupt jumps.
Logging Drinks
When should I log a drink?
When you log a drink, all of the alcohol will be shown in your system at that time. Since alcohol takes time to be absorbed into your system, this is a known inaccuracy in the estimate of BAC. One way to err is to log the drink once it is complete. This way the BAC from that drink will show up in your system for a longer time.
However, this will only be fair estimate if you take a while to consume the drink so that alcohol is entering your system before the drink is consumed. If you are drinking fast, or taking shots, you may want to consider logging the drink some time after it is consumed.
How do I find out how much alcohol is in a drink?
In short, you don't. This is yet another reason why the BAC value reported is only an estimate.
If you are drinking in a bar, it's nearly impossible to know the amount of wine in a glass, or the amount of alcohol in a mixed drink. When in doubt, guess that's it's higher than what you expect. Some recent studies have found that drinks in bars, like food, tend to be "super-sized"; wine glasses contain more wine than a "standard" glass and mixed drinks contain more than a single shot. If you are doubt, ask your bar tender for guidance.
Drink Logger Accounts
How much does it cost to create an account?
Nothing!
How much does it cost to use Drink Logger?
Nothing!
Will I get a bunch of SPAM if I sign up for an account?
No. We do not sell, share, or give away email addresses or any other personal information collected on our site. For complete details, read our Privacy Policy. Of course, if you already get a bunch of SPAM, signing up for an account at Drink Logger will do nothing to reduce the SPAM you already get. That reminds me a of a joke...
A woman about to undergo surgery asked her doctor if she'd be able to play violin after her operation. The doctor replied that, "Yes, she would." "Great," said the woman, "I've always wanted to play the violin."
Why do you need to know my weight and gender?
This information is needed to calculate your estimated BAC. As with any information you provide to us, this is protected by our Privacy Policy.
Why do you ask for a phone number?
This is optional. If you want to track your estimated blood alcohol content using our SMS service we need to know your phone number so that when we get an SMS from you, we know who you are. If you don't plan to use SMS, there is no need to enter your phone number. As with any information you provide to us, this is protected by our Privacy Policy.
What are saved drinks?
After you log a drink you'll be given the option to save the drink by giving it a name. If you choose to save the drink, it will be shown in the Saved section of the drink widget that is shown when you are logging a drink. Saved drinks make it easier to log custom drinks.
If you are using the web (not mobile) version of Drink Loggger, you can edit your saved drinks in the Settings section of Drink Logger. Once you are logged in, go to Settings and then select the Saved Drinks link. You'll see a list of all the drinks you have saved. You can edit and delete saved drinks on this page. When editing saved drinks you can also give saved drinks an SMS Name that can be used to log your saved drinks when logging drinks with SMS. See the SMS page for more details on this usage.