Although some customers complain, the Vermont Pub & Brewery in Burlington, Vt., limits customers to two pints of beer an hour, knowing full well alcohol has a cumulative effect.

The fact is, alcohol affects individuals differently. Your blood alcohol level will be influenced by your age, gender, physical condition, amount of food consumed and any drugs or medication. The altitude where you are drinking makes a difference, as does the strength of the beer.

Those factors all complicate the ongoing debate about how much you can drink before it is unsafe to drive. However, in most states, if your blood-alcohol limit is above .08% then it is not legal for you to drive, and legal is legal. We present these charts with that in mind.

We also return our thoughts to the Vermont Pub & Brewery. In it's pub area there is a Ben Franklin saying, "All things in moderation," etched beautfiully in glass. That is worth remembering wherever you drink.

These charts offer approximate blood alcohol percentages that would be expected for men and women of about these weights and for various amounts consumed. Remember, in most states .08% is the number to remember. One drink is considered 1.25 ounces of 80 proof spirits, one 12-ounce serving of "regular" (5% abv) beer or 5 ounces of table wine. Also, subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking.