What are some things that affect blood alcohol level?
• Quantity: The more you drink the higher your blood alcohol level. • Rate: The faster you drink the higher your blood alcohol level. • Time: Your body gets rid of the alcohol you’ve consumed at about one drink per hour. So over time, your blood alcohol level drops accordingly. • Gender: In general, females have smaller body mass and fluid and more body fat — both factors that increase the effects of alcohol. And female hormones speed up the absorption of alcohol. Also, women have less of an alcohol-metabolizing enzyme in their stomachs. • Recent illness or tiredness: With either of these, the liver is unable to metabolize alcohol as efficiently as normal, so blood alcohol level stays higher longer. • Tolerance: When tolerance to alcohol is developed, the person requires more alcohol (higher blood alcohol level) to have the same effects. • Food: Eating before drinking slows down the absorption of alcohol, but all of the alcohol still gets in. What happens to the drinker at each blood a
