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Alcohol / Drug
Alcohol is a drug. It depresses the central nervous system
similar to the way general anesthetics do, but it has
some major differences from anesthetics. Because alcohol
is almost completely metabolized in the body, its effects
cannot be controlled. The dose that would be effective
as surgical anesthesia is not much lower than the dose
that causes respiratory arrest and death.
How Alcohol Affects the Body
Alcohol is absorbed primarily through the small intestine and
stomach. The rate of absorption depends on the type of alcoholic
beverage consumed and the amount of food and water in the stomach.
Alcohol requires no digestion and is absorbed unchanged into
the bloodstream. Although it contains usable calories, alcohol
itself cannot be stored or converted into fats or protein.
In fact, it prevents other calories from being burned and may
even reduce the body's metabolic rate.
Once alcohol is absorbed, it remains in the bloodstream until
it is metabolized. Over 90% of that metabolism occurs in the
liver. A very small percentage is normally excreted unchanged
through the breath, skin and urine.
Intoxication and Driving
We metabolize the equivalent of 1½ drinks per hour. Even after one drink (1 oz of hard liquor, 1 beer, 1 glass of wine), driving ability is impaired. Depending on the size and weight of the person, drinking more than that amount rapidly causes serious impairment of the ability to drive safely.
Driving while intoxicated is illegal in all legal jurisdictions within the United States. Each state has its own laws regarding the allowable
BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration). Many states have settled on .08 as the legal BAC limit, while others use the less restrictive .10 BAL limit. The reason that
this level is widely accepted is that most people become impaired enough at this level to be dangerous while driving. As a rough guide, an average 170-pound male
reaches a .08 BAC level after consuming four drinks in an hour, and a 137-pound female reaches it after consuming three drinks in an hour. Please note that
this is a rough estimate and not to be used as an actual guideline. Individuals vary significantly.
more about this topic
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