When we drink there are several ways from which it gets out of the body. The alcohol is broken down by the liver and the majority of the alcohol gets absorbed by the bloodstream. Our body metabolism processes the alcohol at the rate of 20mg/dl per hour. Our body needs around 3 hours to metabolize 60ml/dl blood alcohol level as per this rate. The food present in the stomach can also absorb the alcohol.
How long alcohol stays in the system depends on the amount of alcohol consumed and the rate at which your body metabolism occurs. The faster the metabolism, the faster the alcohol gets out of your body. Each person has their own metabolism rate. Some people metabolize alcohol faster, and some slower. The 10% of alcohol consumed goes out of your body through urine, sweat, and breath. The rest 90% of alcohol gets broken down in a metabolism process.
Let’s talk about the alcohol metabolism process:
The alcohol metabolized at the same rate Irrespective of weight, age, and height. But some people take longer to feel the effect of the alcohol due to the BAC. The BAC (Blood alcohol concentration) levels tell the amount of alcohol in your blood. The BAC level is measured in relation to the amount of water in your blood. The BAC level increase with the alcohol intake. The more you intake alcohol, the more the upward increase in the BAC level. We can’t control the metabolism rate, but we can certainly control the BAC level.
Here are some factors that can affect the BAC.
- Weight
- Age
- Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach
- Liver problem
- Drinking too much alcohol in a short time
- Drinks that contain a high level of alcohol that can take a long time to metabolize
If your BAC level is around 0.05%, then you will show some characteristics of intoxication. At 0.05% level, you should not drive a vehicle. Your ability to drive a vehicle is significantly affected at this level. At 0.07% level, you are classified as drunk. Here are some of the signs of intoxication.
- Lack of concentration
- Difficulty in remembering things
- Slow breathing
- Trouble in speaking
- Confusion
Alcohol drinking can lead to addiction.
How long does alcohol stay in the system?
Alcohol can stay in the system from 10 hours to 90 days. The alcohol traces can stay in your hair for up to 90 days. Alcohol can stay in your blood for 10 to 20 hours after the last intake. The smell of alcohol can stay in the breath for around 24 hours. So alcohol breathalyzers can detect the alcohol in the breath up to 24 hours after the intake.
The bloodstream absorbs most alcohol so that alcohol can stay in the blood for up to 12 hours. The traces of alcohol can stay in your saliva for up to 1 to 5 days. The half-life of ethanol is around 5 hours, meaning that the average body needs five hours to eliminate half amount of alcohol that you have intake. Several factors affect how long alcohol stays in your system. This factor varies from person to person.
Age: The alcohol stays longer in older people because of the slow liver working. So it takes a longer time to remove the alcohol from the body. Young people’s liver works faster than older people; hence the alcohol will stay in the system shorter than older people.
Gender: Alcohol stays longer in the woman because they have high body fate and low body fluid than men.
Body fat: The more body fat, the more alcohol will stay in your body. Alcohol will stay longer in an obese person than the fit person. This is also true for marijuana and other drugs.
Genetics history: The genetic history also influence how long alcohol stays in your system
Food: Food also impacts how long alcohol stays in the system. Eating before the drinking or eating while drinking alcohol can slow down the absorption
The urine test, breath test, saliva test, hair follicle test, and blood test can detect the presence of alcohol in your body.