Alcohol typically takes about 1 hour to be metabolized per standard drink (e.g., one beer, one glass of wine, or one shot of spirits), but this can vary depending on several factors such as genetics, age, weight, gender, liver health, and how much food was consumed
How long alcohol stays detectable in the body:
- Blood: Up to 12 hours after drinking
- Breath: 12 to 24 hours
- Urine: 12 to 24 hours for typical use, but up to 72 hours or more after heavy drinking
- Saliva: Up to 12-48 hours depending on the source
- Hair: Up to 90 days
Metabolism details:
- The liver metabolizes about 90-98% of the alcohol consumed, primarily via enzymes like alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)
- The half-life of alcohol in the body is about 4-5 hours, meaning it takes roughly 25 hours (about five half-lives) for alcohol to be fully cleared from the system
- The rate of metabolism is generally constant, but factors like drinking on an empty stomach can cause faster absorption and stronger effects, though not faster elimination
Summary:
- For a typical person, alcohol leaves the bloodstream within about 12 hours.
- The body processes roughly one standard drink per hour.
- Complete elimination from the body takes around 24-25 hours, but detection windows vary by test type and amount consumed.
- Heavy drinking can extend detection times considerably, especially in urine and hair tests
Thus, while the intoxicating effects may wear off within a few hours, alcohol and its metabolites can remain detectable in the body for much longer depending on the testing method used.
