Alcohol absorption is not particularly straightforward, there are a number of variables which influence how the body responds to alcohol. If you've ever drank several drinks and wondered why you weren't "feeling it," it might help for you to understand why this occurs.
Alcohol is a depressant; it slows down your central nervous system, affecting motor coordination, reaction time, judgment, inhibitions, and reasoning. If you ingest large quantities of alcohol, it can be detrimental to your health, and even lead to death.
Factors that Affect How You Respond to Alcohol
There are five main factors that affect your response to alcohol, including: food, controlled substances, your physical and emotional state, your sex, and your body mass and composition.
Food: By eating before consuming alcohol, it delays the absorption of alcohol in the bloodstream, which helps to control BAC so it doesn't peak so quickly. If a person drinks on an empty stomach, alcohol is absorbed much faster – in as short as five minutes!
Legal and illegal drugs: Mixing alcohol with many prescription, over-the-counter, and illegal drugs can intensify alcohol's effects, and potentially have dangerous consequences. It's critical to discuss mixing alcohol with any medications with your doctor or pharmacist.
Your physical or emotional state: Fatigue and stress can speed up alcohol absorption. Since alcohol is a depressant, it can exaggerate emotional states, both good and bad.
Your sex: There are distinct physiological differences between a man's body composition and a woman's that affect their reaction to alcohol. Due to factors such as body fat, hormones and enzymes, women are generally affected by alcohol more than men.
Your body mass and composition: Smaller people are affected more by alcohol than people with a larger body mass. Further, since alcohol is not fat soluble, people with a higher percentage of body fat tend to have a faster intoxication rate.
If you're facing DUI charges, scroll through our directory to find a local DUI attorney!