How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System?

Alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in America. You can find someone drinking at a birthday party, dinner with coworkers, or a sports game. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 78.5% of people aged 12 or older have drunk alcohol at some point in their lives.

While occasional alcohol use is acceptable, sometimes people cannot control how much they drink. If you have a hard time moderating your alcohol use, you might suffer from alcohol addiction.

Knowing how long alcohol stays in your body can help you decide when it’s safe to take medication or when you will develop withdrawal.

How long alcohol stays in your system depends on how much you drink. The body can eliminate one drink per hour. Other factors may contribute, including your metabolism and whether you ate food.

How is Alcohol Metabolized?

Alcohol enters your digestive system by going into your stomach and small intestines after you drink it. Alcohol is absorbed by your stomach which will metabolize some of the alcohol. However, a portion of the alcohol will travel throughout the rest of your body.

Your liver absorbs the alcohol and metabolizes it at a rate of one drink per hour. If you drink more than this, your liver will become saturated.

When alcohol saturates the liver, it remains in your blood until your body can process it. This is why people who drink a lot at once experience more severe effects of alcohol.

Eventually, your body turns alcohol into water and carbon dioxide, making it easy to eliminate from your system.

Factors that Affect How Long Alcohol Stays in Your System

When someone drinks alcohol, the amount they consume affects how long it stays in their body. The more you drink, the higher your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) becomes. It takes longer for your body to eliminate a high BAC.

Other factors that affect how long alcohol stays in your system include:

• Age
• Biological sex
• The amount of alcohol consumed
• Your overall health
• The health of your liver
• How much food and water you’ve consumed
• Body size and speed of metabolism
• The presence of other substances

Your body eliminates alcohol slowly the older you get. Additionally, any health conditions like liver damage can affect the rate at which your body removes alcohol.

If you have a hard time controlling your alcohol consumption, you should seek help. Alcohol rehab programs should always treat excessive alcohol use.

How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System? Test Detection Times

A variety of alcohol testing methods can detect alcohol in your body. For example, doctors can perform breath tests to determine if you are under the influence. On the other hand, urine, hair, saliva, and blood tests can figure out if you’ve consumed alcohol recently.

The type of test plays a role in how long you can detect alcohol.

Breathalyzer testing for alcohol

Breathalyzers test your breath to determine your blood alcohol concentration. These devices can determine the alcohol content in your system. Typically, breathalyzers can detect alcohol in your system for up to 24 hours after your last drink.

How long does alcohol stay in the blood?

Doctors mainly use blood tests in hospital settings to determine if alcohol is causing your symptoms. Your body removes alcohol at a rate of one drink per hour.

Alcohol can be detected in your blood for up to 12 hours after you drink.

How long does alcohol stay in urine?

Two different types of urine tests can detect alcohol. The ethyl glucuronide (EtG) method finds alcohol in your system for 3 to 5 days. On the other hand, traditional urine screening tests can only detect alcohol in your system for 12 hours.

How long does alcohol stay in saliva?

Saliva tests can detect your blood alcohol concentration anywhere from 10 to 24 hours after you last consumed it.

How long does alcohol stay in hair?

Hair tests look for substances in the hair follicle, including alcohol. These tests can detect every substance for up to 90 days after your last dose. With that being said, doctors do not use hair tests often because they are expensive to send off to the lab.

Find Help for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

If you or a loved one struggles with alcoholism, help is available. Alcohol use disorder can be incredibly difficult to overcome. However, professional rehab centers can offer the tools and support you need to achieve long-lasting recovery.

At New You Sober Living, we can connect you with a top-rated alcohol rehab center. After you complete your treatment program, you can transfer into our sober living program for extra support. Sober living can ease the transition from facility life to independent living.

We are a top-rated transitional living residence for men and women to recover safely, offering co-ed and men’s Oakland Park, FL, sober living homes. You’re in the right place if you are looking for a comfortable sober living setting.

Contact us today to learn more about our sober living program.