How long does it take for alcohol to be eliminated from the body?

Ask:

If I only drink a small glass of wine, how long will it take for the alcohol concentration to be eliminated, doctor?

Tran An (Hanoi)

Illustration photo.

Doctor Le Van Thieu, Department of General Infection, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases answered:

When consumed, alcohol and beer are metabolized mostly in the liver and partly through sweat and breath. It is impossible to calculate the absolute time for alcohol elimination because this depends on each person's body and eating habits.

In theory, for a healthy adult, the body can eliminate 1 unit of alcohol every 1 hour (this is the fastest level). According to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO), a standard drink containing 10g of alcohol will correspond to: 1 cup of 40-degree strong alcohol (30ml), 1 glass of 13.5-degree wine (100ml), 1 jar of draft beer (330ml), or 3/4 bottle (can) of 5% beer (330ml).

However, in reality, because alcohol metabolism time depends on many factors, the time to eliminate 1 unit of alcohol can be up to 3 hours.

If you only drink a glass of wine from 10-20ml, you should wait at least 3 hours for your body to eliminate all the alcohol before driving. During these 3 hours, everyone should rest and drink plenty of water so that the alcohol can be eliminated through urine. In case of drinking to the point of intoxication (liver overload), the body's alcohol metabolism time will be slower than when drinking only a few units of alcohol. It is best for everyone not to drive after drinking alcohol to avoid risks.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/uong-bia-ruou-bao-lau-thi-dao-thai-het-nong-do-con-192240409090709312.htm