You assumed you’d have a drink or two during a night out with friends but the evening got carried away. You didn’t make it home until the wee hours of the morning, and now you’re wondering if it’s safe to drive to the office at 8:00 am. In all likelihood, you’re better off calling an Uber to take you to work in the morning, even if you don’t feel like you’re still under the influence.
Alcohol can stay in your system long after your morning routine begins, usually 12-24 hours after drinking, sometimes longer depending on how much you drank and how quickly your body processes alcohol.
If you regularly find yourself wondering how long alcohol stays in your system, yet have difficulty abstaining, you might be trying to manage an alcohol use disorder (AUD). If so, you’re not alone. More than 20% of people in the Tampa area participate in binge drinking. At Tranquil Shores, our caring and professional staff can help you reclaim your life with an effective alcohol rehab program that allows you to continue working remotely in a comfortable setting with direct beach access.
In this article, we dive into the specifics of how your body processes alcohol, what blood alcohol content means, and how long alcohol stays in your hair, urine, saliva, and breast milk after drinking.
How Much Alcohol Is in a Standard Drink?
In the U.S. a “standard drink” contains 0.6 ounces (14.0 grams) of alcohol. But that doesn’t mean the beer you’re drinking or the wine you ordered contains a standard serving size. Different types of alcohol contain varying levels of potency, so the amount in your drink varies according to its type and size.
Think of the term “standard drink size” as a recommended serving size and it begins to make more sense. For example, if you’re watching caloric intake, you know that one serving of chicken equals roughly 3 ounces of meat and contains about 128 calories. But if you order Chicken Piccata from the Cheesecake Factory, you’ll take in 1,420 calories instead of 128. That’s because a chicken’s true caloric intake depends on both its preparation and serving size.
Alcohol measurements work similarly. The standard drink size (recommended serving size) contains 0.6 ounces of alcohol, which relates to a different physical pour depending on what you’re drinking. The drinks you order during a night out, or the ones you pour at home, may contain more alcohol than the standard serving size.
One standard drink (0.6 oz) of alcohol equals:
- 14 ounces of light beer
- 12 ounces of regular beer
- 9 ounces of microbrew beer
- 5 ounces of white wine
- 4 ounces of red wine
- 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor
Understanding alcohol serving sizes allows you to gauge how much you’re drinking. It also empowers you to stay within the legal driving limit and avoid doing damage to your liver.
How Alcohol Is Metabolized in the Body: The Biochemical Breakdown
Alcohol’s chemical name is ethanol, and it’s processed through the body in several steps. About 95% of that processing happens in the liver, but other tissues, such as those in the pancreas, brain, and gastrointestinal tracts, also play a role.
When alcohol enters your body, enzymes get busy breaking its molecules into metabolites (other compounds) so that the ethanol can better process it through your system. Initially, most of the ethanol gets broken down in your liver by an enzyme known as “alcohol dehydrogenase,” which turns it into a compound called acetaldehyde. Next, an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase turns it into a compound called acetate. Finally, tissues mostly outside the liver go about the business of breaking the acetate into carbon dioxide and water.
According to a report by the NIAA, the part of the process involving acetaldehyde is a subject of ongoing research, and some researchers believe that the toxic compound is responsible for a portion of the behavioral and physiological effects that result when we drink alcohol. There’s also a chance that the compound may be produced by the brain during the metabolism process.
Although we don’t have all the answers on why alcohol affects us the way it does, we do know that the liver can only process about one drink (0.6 oz alcohol) per hour and perhaps an average of two drinks per day. More than this puts a strain on the organ and, if done regularly over time, may result in liver damage or disease.
How Alcohol Affects the Liver
The liver is a vital organ that performs more than 500 functions to keep the body working. It filters all of our blood and produces bile, which helps the body digest fats and expel waste. It also helps our bodies resist infection, store vitamins and minerals, and process glucose. Without a healthy liver, our bodies cannot function properly.
The long-term effects of alcohol can be very dangerous to the liver’s health, since it processes every sip of alcohol we put into our system. Despite the liver’s incredible abilities, it can only process about one drink of alcohol (0.6 oz) per hour. Consistently pushing it to filter more than what it can handle will, over time, lead to liver damage or (eventually) disease.
Fortunately, the liver is well-known for its resiliency. Even after damage and some stages of disease, the liver can repair itself, or at least stop deteriorating, when a person stops drinking completely.
13 Factors That Shape Alcohol’s Processing Rate
The rate at which alcohol processes through the body is different for everyone, making it hard to predict the exact speed at which alcohol filters through your system.
Some variables that affect the processing speed of alcohol include:
- How much alcohol you drink
- Your age
- The concentration of alcohol in your drinks
- How much food you consume around or before drinking
- The speed at which you consume drinks
- Your body’s alcohol tolerance level
- Altitude
- Carbonation of the drinks you’re consuming
- Your body size and build
- Your gender
- Your ethnicity
- The timing of your menstrual cycle, if you are a woman
- Any drugs you’ve taken, particularly antihistamines, metoclopramide, or phenothiazines
Because so many factors affect the rate at which alcohol processes through your body, it’s hard to predict exactly how drinking will affect your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). It’s also difficult to know precisely how long the alcohol will stay in your system.
How Long Does Alcohol Remain in Your Urine?
Alcohol remains in your urine for about 12-24 hours, or up to 72 hours after heavy drinking.
How Long Do Traces of Alcohol Remain in Your Hair?
On average, alcohol can be detected in hair follicles up to 90 days after drinking.
How Long Does Alcohol Remain in Your Saliva?
Generally speaking, alcohol can be detected in your saliva for up to 12 hours after drinking.
How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Breastmilk?
According to the CDC, alcohol can be detected in breast milk for about 2-3 hours after drinking, however, if you have more than one drink, it remains in your breast milk longer.
- One drink: 2-3 hours
- Two drinks: 4-5 hours
- Three drinks: 6-8 hours
How Is Alcohol Measured in the Body?
Alcohol in the body is measured by blood alcohol content, and can only be determined with special equipment such as a breathalyzer or blood test.
According to the Alcohol and Beverage Commission, here’s how BAC affects an average person at increasing levels of intoxication.
BAC level
Effects on the average person
.04 – .06: Relaxed with minor reasoning and memory impairment
.07 – .09: Mild impairment, becoming legally impaired at .08
.10 – .12: Significantly impaired
.13 – .15: Grossly impaired, dysphoria (anxiety, restlessness) begins
.16 – .20: Predominantly dysphoric, at risk of alcohol poisoning
25 – .30: Severe intoxication
.35 – .40: Loss of consciousness
.40 & up: Onset of coma, high risk for respiratory failure
Getting Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder
Managing AUD is more effective with compassionate experts by your side. Caring professionals can guide your recovery in ways that improve your chances of long-term success. Whether you choose inpatient or outpatient services, getting treatment for AUD can help ensure that the things that matter most to you — like your family, career, and social activities — remain a part of your life moving forward.
At Tranquil Shores, we understand the important role family and career play in your life. Our evidence-based on-campus and outpatient programs include assessment, alcohol detox, therapy, and aftercare. Our beachside campus includes everything you need to work remotely so that you can maintain your career (if you choose) while in treatment. Are you ready to reclaim your life and take control of your alcohol use? Give us a call at 727-591-4119 and speak with a member of our team today.
FAQs
How do you remove alcohol from your body?
The only way for alcohol to leave the body is by allowing it to process through your liver and tissues.
What is the best drink to flush your system fast?
Nothing can flush alcohol from your system faster, as it must filter through your liver for processing before it can leave your system — and nothing can speed up this process. However, drinking extra water can help prevent your liver from slowing down due to dehydration.
What can I drink to detox my body overnight?
Unfortunately, there is no known way to detox your body from alcohol overnight, other than to allow the liver to do its job (on its own time).
