Highest blood alcohol level

The highest blood alcohol content (BAC) ever recorded in a human being who has lived to tell the tale was 1.374, equivalent to 13.74 grams of pure alcohol per litre of blood. To put that in perspective, the UK drink driving limit corresponds to a BAC of 0.08, while anything above 0.4 carries with it the possibility of death. The 40-year-old Polish man, whose name was not disclosed, was found unconscious by the side of the road in the village of Tarnowskiej Woli, in south-east Poland, in July 2013. Police at the scene reportedly could not believe the blood test readings, but they were confirmed on his arrival at hospital. Although the man escaped with his life, doctors say the huge dose of alcohol has caused serious and permanent damage to his digestive, nervous and cardiovascular systems.