It is up to 24 hrs before alcohol leaves your system on average, but it does depend on the amount of alcohol that has been consumed, your weight, whether you are male or female, your age, how quickly or how slowly your body turns food into energy (which is known as your metabolism). Stress levels, if any medications are being used long or even short term or how much food has been eaten can also determine the body’s ability to break down units of alcohol, and one of the biggest factors would be the strength of the alcohol and if you have a fully functioning liver. When alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach and intestines, it goes through the liver first before it circulates the whole body. It is in the liver, which contains the chemicals or enzymes, which metabolise, or process the alcohol.
These enzymes break down the alcohol into water and carbon dioxide, which are eventually passed out in the urine. The liver can only process a limited amount of alcohol per hour. If you are drinking faster than your liver can process, then the alcohol content in your blood will increase and in turn take longer to process and leave your body. One unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml of pure alcohol, which is roughly half a pint of beer or a 25ml measure of a spirit. A small glass of wine is about 1.5 units, a 5% pint of beer is 2.8 units - therefore, if you drink one pint of beer it takes your body up to two hours to break it down and strong beer will take longer. The test is a good estimate to detect the blood alcohol concentration through the exhaled air, which is in equilibrium with the blood.
These enzymes break down the alcohol into water and carbon dioxide, which are eventually passed out in the urine. The liver can only process a limited amount of alcohol per hour. If you are drinking faster than your liver can process, then the alcohol content in your blood will increase and in turn take longer to process and leave your body. One unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml of pure alcohol, which is roughly half a pint of beer or a 25ml measure of a spirit. A small glass of wine is about 1.5 units, a 5% pint of beer is 2.8 units - therefore, if you drink one pint of beer it takes your body up to two hours to break it down and strong beer will take longer. The test is a good estimate to detect the blood alcohol concentration through the exhaled air, which is in equilibrium with the blood.
