HOW ALCOHOL IS BROKEN DOWN IN THE BODY

Absorption

   Alcohol is absorbed from all parts of the intestines mostly by simply mixing  into the blood through the intestine lining. Because of its large surface area, the small intestine is the most efficient place for alcohol absorption.

   In a fasting individual, generally 20% to 25% of a dose of alcohol is absorbed from the stomach and 75% to 80% is absorbed from the small intestine. Because of this, peak blood alcohol concentrations are achieved in fasting people within 0.5 to 2.0 hours, while non-fasting people show peak alcohol concentrations within 1.0 to as much as 6.0 hours.

   That is why the food  in the stomach prolongs the time before alcohol intoxication occurs (Intoximeters Inc., 2001).

Distribution

   Alcohol dissolves easily in water and is therefore found in all body tissues and fluids that contain water. Absorbed alcohol is rapidly carried throughout the body in the blood. Once absorption of alcohol is complete, the blood at all points in the body system contains approximately the same concentration of alcohol (Kleber, 1995).

   Since  men have a naturally larger blood volume (and bodily water concentration) due to their generally larger body size, it takes them longer to get drunk with the same amount of alcohol than it does for women  (Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, 2000). 

  Elimination

   The liver is responsible for the ridding of the body of alcohol - through breakdown of 95% of ingested alcohol. The remaining 5% of the alcohol is disposed through breath, urine, sweat, feces, milk and saliva. The body uses several different  pathways  to break down alcohol into its basic components: first into acetaldehyde, then to acetic acid and finally  to carbon dioxide and water (Intoximeters Inc., 2001).

   Healthy people breakdown alcohol at a consistent rate. As a rule of thumb, a person will get rid of one average drink or 0.5 oz (15 ml) of alcohol per hour. This rule is general and depends on such factors as : age, health, gender, type and amount of drinks and so on (Kleber, 1995; Lewy, 1995).