What does promille mean? 0.50‰, 1‰ and the legal limit in plain words
Promille (‰) means “per thousand”. For blood alcohol it states how many grams of alcohol are in one litre of blood: 1 promille is 1 gram per litre, and 0.50 promille is 50 milligrams in 100 ml of blood (Turkish Traffic Department).
In Turkey the limit is 0.50‰ for private-car drivers and 0.20‰ for drivers of all other vehicles. Novice drivers are held to 0.20‰ in any vehicle during their first two years.
“0.50 promille” does not mean “fifty per cent drunk”. The Turkish Traffic Department calls that popular phrase completely wrong.
What does promille mean?
Promille (‰) comes from Latin per mille, “per thousand”: a percentage counts parts per hundred, promille counts parts per thousand. For blood alcohol, promille states how many grams of alcohol are in one litre of blood. 1 promille is 1 gram per litre; 0.50 promille is 50 milligrams in 100 ml.
The unit sets the weight of alcohol against the volume of blood. The Turkish Traffic Department explains it with the 0.50 example: 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, so 50:100 = 0.50 promille (Turkish Traffic Department). The same page says this mix of weight and volume is not mathematically elegant, but it avoids very small numbers.
Why 0.50 promille is not “fifty per cent drunk”
0.50 promille is not fifty per cent: by volume it is about 0.063% alcohol in the blood. The Turkish Traffic Department calls the common Turkish phrase “yüzde elli alkollü” (fifty per cent alcohol) entirely wrong and says it comes from not knowing how promille is calculated. The same page adds that even 0.5% alcohol in the blood, about 4 grams per litre, is fatal for many people (Turkish Traffic Department).
Promille table: grams, milligrams and per cent
A promille value is milligrams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood divided by 100: 50 mg is 0.50, 100 mg is 1 promille. The Turkish Traffic Department’s official conversion table runs from 0.2 to 5 promille:
| Promille | mg alcohol per 100 ml blood | g alcohol per litre blood | alcohol by volume in blood |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 | 20 | 0.2 | 0.025% |
| 0.5 | 50 | 0.5 | 0.063% |
| 0.8 | 80 | 0.8 | 0.1% |
| 1 | 100 | 1 | 0.13% |
| 1.5 | 150 | 1.5 | 0.19% |
| 2 | 200 | 2 | 0.25% |
| 3 | 300 | 3 | 0.38% |
| 4 | 400 | 4 | 0.5% |
| 5 | 500 | 5 | 0.6% |
The last column converts grams to millilitres with the density of alcohol, 0.789 g per ml (Turkish Traffic Department).
How much alcohol is 1 promille?
1 promille is 1 gram of alcohol in every litre of blood, or 100 mg in 100 ml. How many drinks that takes depends on weight, sex, food and time. The UK government says it plainly: it is impossible to say exactly how many drinks equal the limit, because it is different for each person (GOV.UK). Our blood alcohol calculator shows a model range for your own drinks and weight.
What do “300 promille”, “500 promille” or “1000 promille” mean?
These numbers cannot be a promille value for blood alcohol. 300 promille would be 300 grams of alcohol per litre of blood; the Turkish Traffic Department’s table ends at 5 promille and notes that 4 grams per litre is already fatal for many people (Turkish Traffic Department).
A number like this can come from reading milligrams per 100 ml as promille. Read that way, 40 mg is 0.40 promille, 100 mg is 1, 300 mg is 3 and 500 mg is 5 promille. 1000 promille would be a thousand per thousand, that is 100 per cent; it has no meaning as a blood value.
Promille, % BAC and mg/dL: units in other countries
Other countries write the same thing in other units:
- Turkey: promille, grams per litre of blood. 0.50‰. Many other European countries also write limits in promille.
- United States: % BAC, grams per 100 ml. By unit conversion, 0.50‰ = 0.05% BAC.
- United Kingdom: milligrams per 100 ml of blood (the same as mg/dL). The limit is 80 mg per 100 ml in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (0.80‰) and 50 mg in Scotland (0.50‰). The UK also sets breath limits in micrograms per 100 ml of breath: 35 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 22 in Scotland (GOV.UK).
Breath carries far less alcohol than the same volume of blood, so breath limits have their own, much smaller numbers: in England, Wales and Northern Ireland the breath limit of 35 µg per 100 ml sits alongside the blood limit of 80 mg per 100 ml (GOV.UK). A breathalyser that shows promille converts the breath value into a blood value with a fixed ratio; how that works is explained in how does a breathalyzer work.
What each promille level does to the body
The Turkish Traffic Department lists effects by level (Turkish Traffic Department):
| Promille | Effects on body and behaviour |
|---|---|
| 0.2 | Mood changes, slight rise in body temperature, less control over behaviour |
| 0.5 | Clear relaxation, reduced attention, coordination and judgement start to suffer |
| 0.8 | Clear impairment of coordination, perception and judgement; reaction time and self-control are impaired |
| 1 | Signs of drunkenness, possible embarrassing behaviour, mood swings |
| 1.5 | Difficulty standing, walking and speaking; loss of balance and coordination |
| 2 | Less pain and other sensations; swings between crying and laughing |
| 3 | Weaker reflexes, clouded consciousness, loss of consciousness in many people |
The same page says research finds negative effects on driving from about 0.2 promille upward, and that being under the legal limit only avoids the fine; it does not guarantee safety.
What is the legal limit in Turkey?
In Turkey the drink-driving limit is 0.50‰ for private-car drivers and 0.20‰ for drivers of all other vehicles (Turkish Traffic Department). Novice drivers are held to 0.20‰ in any vehicle during their first two licensed years (Law 2918, Additional Article 17). Above the limit, a first offence in a private car means a 25,000 TL fine and six months without a licence. Penalties and the law’s articles are in drink-driving limits and fines in Turkey.
How is promille measured?
- Blood test: measures alcohol in blood directly.
- Breathalyser: measures alcohol in deep lung air and converts it into promille with a fixed ratio, so the number is an estimate (how does a breathalyzer work).
- Calculator: estimates a range from drinks, weight and time. It measures nothing (blood alcohol calculator).
- Saliva screening strip: checks whether alcohol is present in saliva above a threshold. AlkoSafe has a stated detection threshold of 0.20‰ (manufacturer statement); how it works is explained on how AlkoSafe works.
For a personal check without buying a device: the AlkoSafe saliva alcohol test. Its stated detection threshold is 0.20‰.
- 5 test strips$12.76 $2.55 per stripAdd to cart
- 10 test strips$21.56 $2.16 per stripAdd to cart
- 20 test strips$34.10 $1.71 per stripAdd to cart
Personal saliva screening does not replace an official alcohol test. A negative result does not show that driving is safe.
What no number can tell you
No promille value tells you that you are fit to drive. The Turkish Traffic Department states that research shows no level of alcohol is safe for driving, and that negative effects on driving grow as the level rises from about 0.2 promille (Turkish Traffic Department). If you have been drinking, do not drive. Take a taxi, public transport or a driver who has not been drinking.
Frequently asked questions
What does 0.50 promille mean?
50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, or 0.5 grams in one litre. It is the Turkish limit for private-car drivers; for novice drivers the limit is 0.20. It does not mean “fifty per cent drunk”.
How much alcohol is 1 promille?
1 gram of alcohol per litre of blood, or 100 mg in 100 ml. How many drinks that takes differs from person to person; the blood alcohol calculator shows a model range.
What does 300 promille mean?
It cannot be a blood value, because 300 grams per litre is impossible. If 300 mg per 100 ml is meant, that is 3 promille in the official table. At 3 promille many people lose consciousness.
What is the difference between promille and per cent?
Per cent counts per hundred, promille per thousand. 0.50‰ equals 0.05% BAC in the US unit (grams per 100 ml). By volume, 0.50‰ is about 0.063% alcohol in blood.
What does 0.20 promille mean?
20 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood. It is the Turkish limit for drivers of all vehicles except private cars, and for novice drivers in any vehicle. Research finds that negative effects on driving increase as alcohol rises from about this level; no level of alcohol is safe for driving.
What does high promille mean?
A higher value means more alcohol in the blood. The official table lists effects from 0.2 promille: reduced attention at 0.5, clear impairment of coordination and judgement at 0.8, signs of drunkenness at 1, loss of balance at 1.5, and loss of consciousness in many people at 3.
About this guide
This guide was written from the sources listed below, checked on 30 September 2026. The conversion table and effect levels are quoted from the Turkish Traffic Department; legal limits follow that page and our separately sourced guide to Turkish drink-driving law.
Disclaimer
AlkoSafe is a personal screening and self-check product. It does not replace an official breath test, a blood test, medical advice, employer rules or traffic law. A test result does not prove that you are free of alcohol or legally fit to drive. If you have been drinking, feel tired or unwell, or are unsure, do not drive.
Sources
Official
- Turkish Traffic Department (EGM Trafik Başkanlığı), Alkollü Araç Kullanımı (definition, conversion table, effects by level): https://trafik.gov.tr/alkollu-arac-kullanimi
- GOV.UK, The drink drive limit: https://www.gov.uk/drink-drive-limit
- Law 2918 (Karayolları Trafik Kanunu), current text: https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuatmetin/1.5.2918.pdf
Manufacturer
- AlkoSafe product page (detection threshold 0.20‰): https://alkosafe.com/alkosafe/
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AlkoSafe saliva alcohol test
For a personal check without buying a device: the AlkoSafe saliva alcohol test. Its stated detection threshold is 0.20‰.
- 5 test strips$12.76 $2.55 per stripAdd to cart
- 10 test strips$21.56 $2.16 per stripAdd to cart
- 20 test strips$34.10 $1.71 per stripAdd to cart
Personal saliva screening does not replace an official alcohol test. A negative result does not show that driving is safe.
