Driver’s Manual | 53 Different types of drinks do not affect you differ- ently. It is the amount of alcohol you consume, not  whether it is in beer, wine or liquor that raises your  BAC and reduces your driving ability. These drinks  contain about the same amount of alcohol – 1-1⁄2  ounces of liquor, 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of  beer, and 12 ounces of wine cooler. None is “safer  to drink” than the others. York’s “Implied Consent” law, when you drive a  car in this state you are considered to have given  your consent to take this type of test. Chemical test refusal is a separate issue  from whether you were guilty of an alcohol or  drug-related violation. If you refuse to take the  test after being arrested, your driver license will  be suspended when you are arraigned in court  on the alcohol or other drug-related charge. In  addition, the fact that you refused a chemical test  can be brought up in court when you are tried  on the alcohol or drug-related charge. If a DMV  hearing later confirms you refused the test, your  driver license will be revoked even if you are  found not guilty of the alcohol or other drug-relat- ed violation. For information about driver license  revocations and civil penalties for chemical test  refusals, see Chapter 2. For a 150-pound male, each one of these drinks  contains enough alcohol to increase his BAC by  about .02 percent. On average, it takes the body  approximately one hour to remove that much  alcohol. Studies indicate that a woman will take  longer to process and remove alcohol from the  blood. This can cause a higher BAC over a longer  period of time. Compared to the 150-pound male described  above, your body weight can make some differ- ence in the BAC and the effects of alcohol. No  one has immunity to the effects of alcohol. It is a  simple fact: the more you drink in a given period  of time, the higher your BAC will be and the less  safe you will drive. It takes only a few drinks to increase your BAC  to levels at which it is illegal to drive. And remem- ber, the effects of alcohol on your ability to drive  begin at even lower BAC levels after just one drink. Eating before or while you drink helps slow the  absorption of alcohol somewhat, but it cannot  prevent intoxication or impairment if you have too  much to drink. The only method to effectively reduce your  BAC is not to drink over a period of time. Coffee,  exercise and cold showers cannot reduce your  BAC and the effects of alcohol. They can help you  remain awake, but it cannot change your BAC or  make you sober. The table “Penalties for Alcohol/Drug Related  Violations” describes fines, surcharges, license  penalties and possible imprisonment if you are  convicted of an alcohol or drug-related violation.  Impaired or intoxicated driving can also have  other serious results. Drivers with repeat dangerous driving convic- tions in New York State face one of the toughest  licensing policies in the nation. These regulations  call for: Chemical tests use blood, breath, urine or saliva  to measure the BAC of a person. If you are ar- rested for an alcohol or drug related violation, the  police officer will likely request that you submit to  a chemical test (breath test analyzer). Under New  • Lifetime Record Review by DMV:  DMV will  review the lifetime record of all drivers who  apply to have a license reinstated after a revocation.  •   Truly Permanent License Revocation for  Persistently Drunk & Dangerous Drivers: After conducting a lifetime record review, DMV  will deny any application for reinstatement of a  license after revocation if the applicant has: • Five or more alcohol or drug related driving  convictions in his or her lifetime, or THE CONSEQUENCES CHEMICAL TESTS Repeat Offenders