Alcohol is predominantly broken down by the liver, which can metabolize roughly 1 standard drink per hour for men. Factors such as age, weight, gender, and amount of food eaten can affect how fast the body can process alcohol. The rate of alcohol absorption cannot be increased by sleeping or drinking water.
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Depending on the body system and test used, alcohol detection times may vary. Alcohol can stay in your system between 6-72 hours in most cases depending on the detection test used. Alcohol detection tests can measure alcohol in the blood for up to 6 hours, on the breath for 12 to 24 hours, urine for 12 to 24 hours (72 or more hours with more advanced detection methods), saliva for 12 to 24 hours, and hair for up to 90 days. The half-life of alcohol is between 4-5 hours.
Body System Time in System Blood Up to 6 Hours Breath 12-24 Hours Urine 12-24 Hours; 72 Hours or more for newer test methods Saliva 12-24 Hours Hair Up to 90 DaysAlthough alcohol passes through the digestive system, it does not undergo extensive digestion within the digestive tract in the same manner as food. When it enters the upper gastrointestinal tract, a significant portion is absorbed straight into the bloodstream through the tissue lining of the stomach and small intestines. Once in the bloodstream, it is carried throughout the body and travels to the brain.1
The absorption mechanism may be slightly slowed when there is food in the stomach. Food can absorb alcohol, inhibit it from coming into contact with the stomach lining, or slow its transit from the stomach into the duodenum (the first portion of the small intestine), where it otherwise is very rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.1
A healthy person will generally experience the effects of a drink within 15 to 45 minutes.1
Most men with minimal to no tolerance will begin to exhibit some characteristics of intoxication when their blood alcohol level (BAC) reaches 0.05%, and their ability to drive will be significantly impaired at 0.07%. At 0.10%, they will be clearly intoxicated.2
A woman who weighs 150 pounds will reach a BAC of 0.1% (intoxication) if she consumes about 4 drinks in an hour.2
The higher your BAC, the more likely you will be to display signs of intoxication, which include:3
People who are drunk are also more at risk for:3
Alcohol is predominantly broken down in the liver through the actions of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase. On average, the liver can metabolize 1 standard drink per hour for men, or about 0.015g/100mL/hour (i.e., a reduction of blood alcohol level, or BAC, by 0.015 per hour). In addition to liver processing, about 10% of alcohol is eliminated through sweat, breath, and urine.1
A standard drink is defined as:4
Factors that may influence how fast alcohol is broken down include:5
Take our free, 5-minute “Am I an Alcoholic?” self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). The evaluation consists of 11 yes or no questions that are intended to be used as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of an AUD. The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result.
The breakdown and elimination of alcohol cannot be sped up by drinking water or sleeping, and neither coffee nor a shower will sober you up faster. They might make you more alert, but they will not eliminate alcohol from your blood. As long as your rate of consumption is greater than your rate of elimination, your BAC will continue to rise.1
The amount of time alcohol can be detected in your system depends on the type of test used.
Since alcohol is metabolized fairly quickly, most clinicians rely on observations of alcohol use—such as slurred speech or the smell of alcohol—or a breathalyzer test to confirm intoxication or recent drinking.2
Alcohol overdose, or alcohol poisoning, can be serious. You can overdose when there is a high enough amount of alcohol in your system to cause life-supporting functions such as breathing or heart rate to dangerously slow or shut down.4
As your BAC rises, you may begin to feel more negative effects of intoxication and your risk of overdose increases: 4
Symptoms of an overdose include: 4
Your risk of overdose increases if you binge drink which, by one definition, entails consuming 4 drinks in 2 hours for a woman or 5 drinks in 2 hours for a man. Extreme binge drinking is drinking 2 or more times the binge drinking thresholds. Drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short time greatly outpaces the liver’s ability to clear alcohol from the body and leads to a rapid increase in BAC. 4
The risk of overdose may become even greater if a person mixes alcohol with opioid or sedative-hypnotic medications, such as painkillers, sleep medications, or anti-anxiety drugs. These drugs also suppress breathing, and combined with alcohol, these effects are intensified and can lead to an overdose with even moderate levels of alcohol. 4
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, roughly 14.5 million people age 12 or older had an alcohol use disorder in the U.S. in 2017. This figure represents 5.3% of all people in this age group. Alcohol-related deaths are the third-leading cause of preventable death in the country, with about 88,000 people dying each year from liver failure, overdose, drunk driving, and other accidents.5,6
As alcohol use continues to be a widespread and potentially deadly national public health crisis, it’s important to know that help is only a phone call away. If you or someone you know is abusing alcohol or has an addiction to alcohol, American Addiction Centers (AAC) is here to help. For more information about our treatment programs, give us a call today at