How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Your System (2024)

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How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Your System (1)

Page medically reviewed by Dr Ian Nnatu(MB BS, PG DIP (CBT), MSc, FRCPsych,MRCPsych)Consultant Adult Psychiatrist atPriory Hospital North London

When alcohol enters your system, your body will begin to metabolise it. Metabolism is the body’s chemical process for breaking down a substance to be absorbed or used as energy. This process happens when you consume any food or drink.

When you consume alcohol, the metabolising process is done primarily by your liver. On average, a person will metabolise the equivalent of one alcoholic drink per hour, but this can vary based on your weight, height, gender and body composition.

Read on to find out more about how long alcohol stays in your system, including parts of the body like blood, urine, saliva and hair.

How long does alcohol stay in the body?

Depending on how much you’ve consumed, the type of test used and some biological factors about the person drinking the alcohol, the amount of time the substance can be detected in your system can vary widely.

In general, a blood test can measure alcohol in your body for up to 6 hours after your last drink, while breathalyser tests work for between 12 and 24 hours. Urine tests, such as the ethyl glucuronide (EtG) test, are also effective for around 12-24 hours after use. This method tests for ethyl glucuronide, a breakdown product of ethanol – which is the alcohol you find in alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can also be detected in your hair follicles up to 90 days after consumption (source).

  • Blood test– a blood test will show alcohol present in your bloodstream for up to 6 hours after your last alcoholic drink
  • Urine test– alcohol can be detected in your urine for approximately 12-14 hours after alcohol was last consumed
  • Breath test -a breathalyzer can detect alcohol on the breath forapproximately 12-14 hours after alcohol was last consumed
  • Saliva test -alcohol can be detected in saliva for approximately 12-14 hours after alcohol was last consumed
  • Hair test– traces of alcohol can remain in your hair and hair follicles for up to 90 after last consuming alcohol

How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Your System (2)

How is alcohol measured in your body?

When you take a test that measures how much alcohol is in your system, it’s not the total amount of alcohol drunk that’s measured. Alcohol tests measure your blood/breath alcohol concentration (BAC) levels. Your BAC shows the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream or breath, shown by how much ethanol (in grams) is in 100 millilitres of blood or 210 litres of breath.

BAC can be used in breath, blood or urine tests, and is usually displayed as a decimal. One standard drink typically increases BAC levels by 0.02 in the 45-60 minutes it takes for your body to absorb the alcohol (source). One standard drink is the equivalent to:

  • A can of 5% strength beer (12 fluid ounces)
  • A small glass of 12% strength wine (5 fluid ounces)
  • A single shot of 40% spirits, such as gin, whiskey or rum (1.5 fluid ounces)

On average, your body is able to absorb one standard drink every 60 minutes – reducing your BAC levels by around 0.16. So, if you consume an alcoholic drink every hour, your BAC levels will continue to increase.

What impacts how long alcohol stays in your system?

Many factors impact how long alcohol remains in your system, not least the amount of alcohol you have consumed. Some of the other things that might affect how long it takes your body to metabolise alcohol include:

  • Gender: Generally, women have a higher percentage of fat and a lower percentage of water in their bodies than men. This isn’t true of everyone, but it can lead to alcohol staying in a woman’s system for longer
  • Food: Alcohol is absorbed in your digestive tract, so the presence of food makes this process slower – leading to alcohol staying in your system for longer. However, it does help to reduce the feelings you get from drinking alcohol i.e. how ‘drunk’ you feel
  • Body composition: People with smaller body frames are likely to have higher levels of BAC from the same amount of alcohol as someone who is taller than them, due to the higher concentration of alcohol in smaller bodies
  • Medication: Some medications, such as antidepressants and antibiotics, can affect how your body processes alcohol. Always consult your doctor for advice if you plan to consume alcohol while using medication

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How long does it take to feel the effects of alcohol?

Once you’ve had an alcoholic drink, you’ll likely start to feel the effects within just a few minutes. Alcohol starts to absorb in your stomach and small intestine very quickly after consumption. From there, it travels into your bloodstream, which then transports it across your entire body. When transported to the brain, alcohol can impair messages being made there, affecting your emotions, movement and senses.

The factors that impact how long alcohol stays in your system are at play again here. Body composition, your gender, if you’ve recently eaten and any medication you’re taking can all influence how quickly, and how severely, you feel the effects of alcohol once you’ve consumed it.

When does it become alcoholism?

In small amounts, alcohol can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. However, for some, alcohol consumption can spiral out of control, leading to a dependence on the substance. If you’re concerned about how much alcohol you or someone you know is consuming, here are some of the key signs of alcohol addiction to look out for:

  • Developing a stronger tolerance to alcohol, meaning that you need to drink increasingly higher amounts of alcohol in order to feel ‘drunk’
  • Drinking at inappropriate times such as first thing in the morning
  • Headaches caused by dehydration
  • Secretive or dishonest behaviour
  • Drinking heavily alone
  • Drinking to the point of passing out
  • Other struggles with mental health such as depression and anxiety

World class support for addiction with Priory

Alcohol addiction is a serious problem that can seriously debilitate someone’s life, affecting your job and the relationships you have with other people. Thankfully for those struggling with addiction, help and support is available that allows people to make a recovery.

At Priory, we can deliver world-class alcohol addiction treatment, including detoxification (if required), residential rehab and outpatient therapy, throughout our nationwide network of addiction hospitals, clinics and wellbeing centres.

If you think you might have a problem with alcohol addiction, you can get a free addiction assessment with Priory. Available over the phone, online or in person, free addiction assessments cover:

  • Your history with alcohol
  • Any issues in relationships, or family history of alcohol addiction
  • Any other mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, that may be playing a role in your struggle with addiction
  • Deciding upon the best course of treatment for you as an individual

Priory specialise in expert addiction treatment and rehabilitation.To find out how we can help you to get your life back on track, call us today on0330 056 6023 or get in touch via email and one of our expert team will get back to you soon.Book your free addiction assessment and start your journey to recovery with Priory.

How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Your System (2024)

FAQs

How long does alcohol level stay in your system? ›

Alcohol detection tests can measure alcohol in the blood for up to 12 hours, on the breath for 12 to 24 hours, urine for 12-24 hours (72 or more hours after heavier use), saliva for up to 12 hours, and hair for up to 90 days. The half-life of alcohol is between 4-5 hours.

How far back does a urine test for alcohol? ›

The bottom line. Urine tests can detect alcohol or alcohol metabolites in your urine. Generally, these are accurate for 12 to 24 hours, although you may test positive up to 80 hours after drinking alcohol.

How long does it take for each drink to leave your system? ›

The body generally processes approximately one standard drink per hour. If you have 5 standard drinks, it will take 5 hours for your body to process the alcohol.

How long does it take for alcohol to fully hit your system? ›

In the majority of healthy people, blood circulates through the body in 90 seconds, thereby allowing alcohol to affect your brain and all other organs in a short amount of time. The full effects of a drink are felt within 15 to 45 minutes depending on the speed of absorption.

How long does 2 glasses of wine stay in your system? ›

A shot of liquor is estimated to metabolize in an hour, a pint of beer in two, a glass of wine in three, and several drinks could take multiple hours, according to Healthline.com.

Will one night of drinking show up in a hair follicle test? ›

The short answer is no. A hair test can show excess levels of alcohol but not how or when it was consumed. A hair alcohol test should be combined with blood alcohol tests and medical interpretation to get the full picture. A binge drinker might have significant periods of abstinence in between.

Can you drink alcohol before giving a urine sample? ›

For 24 hours prior to collecting the specimen, you should avoid strenuous exercise as well as the following substances and drugs: Acetaminophen. Alcohol.

How do you flush EtG out of your body? ›

If you're wondering how to beat an EtG urine alcohol test, the best way is obvious - just don't drink. Some people suggest drinking loads of water after consuming alcohol will flush out the system but this method is unreliable.

How long can pee last in a bottle for drug test? ›

If you can't hand your urine sample in within 1 hour, you should put the container in a sealed plastic bag then store it in the fridge at around 4C. Do not keep it for longer than 24 hours. The bacteria in the urine sample can multiply if it is not kept in a fridge. If this happens, it could affect the test results.

Does drinking water lower BAC? ›

Blood Alcohol Content, or BAC, refers to the percentage of alcohol in a person's bloodstream, and can be measured within 30-70 minutes after drinking. Contrary to popular belief, nothing can lower BAC except time; coffee, cold showers, and chugging glasses of water will not help you sober up any faster.

What proof is 100% alcohol? ›

From this, it follows that to convert the ABV expressed as a percentage to degrees proof, it is only necessary to multiply the ABV by 7⁄4. Thus pure 100% alcohol will have 100×( 7⁄4) = 175 proof, and a spirit containing 40% ABV will have 40×( 7⁄4) = 70 proof.

How long does it take to get to 0.00 BAC? ›

See the standard drinks guide on the Australian government's alcohol website. The body will only process one standard drink per hour. This means, for every standard drink you have, it will take one hour for your BAC to go back to 0.00.

How is alcohol eliminated from the body? ›

Alcohol's Path Through the Body

About five percent of the alcohol consumed leaves the body through urine, sweat glands, and breathing. Most of the alcohol must be broken down (metabolized) by the liver to remove it from the system. The liver metabolizes alcohol at a very constant rate, approximately one drink per hour.

Which organ removes alcohol from the body? ›

More than 90% of alcohol is eliminated by the liver; 2-5% is excreted unchanged in urine, sweat, or breath.

What happens if you drink alcohol daily? ›

Like all drugs, alcohol can damage your body, especially if you drink heavily every day or in binges. Potential short-term effects of alcohol include hangover and alcohol poisoning, as well as falls and accidents, conflict, lowered inhibitions and risky behaviours.

How does EtG leave the body? ›

EtG is eliminated from the body over time after you drink water and other fluids that flush it out when you urinate. Although drinking water does help flush EtG out of your system,12 it's a myth that you can use this method to reliably manipulate drug test results.

How does the body process alcohol? ›

First, ADH metabolizes alcohol to acetaldehyde, a highly toxic substance and known carcinogen. Then, acetaldehyde is further metabolized down to another, less active byproduct called acetate,1 which then is broken down into water and carbon dioxide for easy elimination.

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