Page 1 of 1

How Long Does Alcohol Stay in the Body?

David J. Hanson, Ph.D.

After alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream it leaves the body in two ways. A total of about ten percent leaves through the breath, perspiration, and urine. The remainder is broken down through the process known as metabolism.
The rate at which alcohol is metabolized is the same for virtually everyone regardless of their height, weight, sex, race or other such characteristics. Alcohol is metabolized at the rate of .015 of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) every hour. 1 Thus a person with a very high BAC of .15 will have no measurable alcohol in the bloodstream after ten hours (.15 divided by .015 = 10). Here are some other examples:
BAC Level .10 .08 .05 .02 Metabolism Time in Hours 6.66 5.33 3.33 1.33

Its important to remember that BAC can continue to rise for a period of time after the last drink is consumed. For useful information about the biphasic curve and our reactions to alcohol How Alcohol Affects Us: the Biphasic Curve. We can easily control the rate at which our BAC rises and how high it goes. Here are some hints: Don't be fooled. Standard drinks of beer, wine, or liquor (mixed drink or straight spirits) each contain virtually identical amounts of pure alcohol. When it comes to alcohol, a drink is a drink is a drink and are all the same to a breathalyzer. 2 Eat food while you drink. Food, especially high protein food such as meat, cheese and peanuts, will help slow the absorption of Standard Drinks alcohol into your body. Sip your drink. If you gulp a drink, you lose the Standard Drinks graphically pleasure of savoring its flavors and aromas. illustrates information on the

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/drivingissues/1127227453.html

9/11/2012