How long does alcohol stay in your system?
Alcohol stay in your system and can be detected in urine up to 24 hours after you end a drinking session. So how long does alcohol stay in the body, urine, breath, saliva and blood? We review alcohol metabolism, alcohol detection, alcohol addictive properties, and drug testing principles for alcohol below.
Peak levels and half life of alcohol
One serving of alcohol is fully absorbed into the blood stream within 30 minutes to 2 hours after intake. This is because the body can metabolize about 0.25 ounces of alcohol per hour. However, the effects of alcohol vary by individual and by how much alcohol they drink in one session. In fact, the effects and levels of alcohol in the body depend upon a number of factors:
- a person’s size and weight
- individual metabolism rate
- related food intake
- the beverage consumed
Generally speaking, alcohol is absorbed into the blood relatively quickly and metabolized more slowly. In an average 150 pound person, for example, each drink adds 0.02% to BAC and hour that passes removes 0.01% from it. This is why alcohol concentrations build steadily throughout a drinking session.
Why test for alcohol?
Alcohol impairment within the workplace and while driving can cause drowsiness, loss of concentration, memory loss, impaired judgment, distortion of reality, poor coordination and slow reaction time. People who drink alcoholic beverages while at work or while driving put themselves and everyone around them in danger. Local, state and federal laws have been created to protect public safety and require that you submit to an alcohol test when requested by employers or law enforcement officials. How long do states keep a DUI on your record? It depends on that state’s laws.
Alcohol drug testing methods
1. Urine based tests – Alcohol has a relatively short lifespan in the human system. Urine testing can be an accurate and reliable method for detecting the presence of alcohol if performed within the relatively short period following ingestion in which it can be detected. The results of a urine ethanol assay are expressed qualitatively as either “positive” or “negative” and do not measure levels of intoxication.
2. Blood based tests – Blood testing for alcohol, on the other hand can measure the amount of ethanol in blood (which requires a 4 ml specimen in a fluoride-oxalate container) and is the preferred test in chronic alcoholism or in an acutely intoxicated patient.
3. Breathalyzer tests – In addition to urine and blood sample testing, ethyl alcohol is measured by a gas chromatographic procedure which is able to differentiate it from other alcohols, notably methanol and isopropanol. In fact, today most drug screens for alcohol are taken via breathalyzer tests. Breath and tests are more useful to determine both the presence and the degree of acute alcohol intoxication. Because breath tests are much simpler, faster and are less invasive than blood tests, they are the most common alcohol testing method used to detect the presence and amount of alcohol consumed.
How long does alcohol stay in the body?
Alcohol has an approximate detection time of 12-24 hours in urine. However, the detection time for alcohol depends upon the maximum level of blood alcohol content (BAC) achieved and varies by individual. People who achieve a moderate level of intoxication (0.10% BAC) are detectable about 8 hours after achieving that level.
Alcohol, alcoholism and addiction
The chronic use of alcohol over time can cause physical and mental dependence on alcohol in order to function. Signs of alcoholism include craving, withdrawal when you stop drinking or cut back on drinking, and tolerance (the need to drink more to get the same effect). About 10% of drinkers can develop psychological and physical dependency on alcohol. But help for alcoholism is available. Once you go through medically supervised alcohol detox and withdrawal to get alcohol out of your body (can you die from alcohol withdrawal?), you learn ways to cope with life without drinking. Yes. Recovery from alcoholism is difficult. But it’s possible.
Problems with alcohol?
If you think that you may have problems with alcohol, you probably do. If you are continually testing positive for the presence of alcohol, or routinely arrested for DUIs…it may be time to ask for help. Please leave your questions about drinking alcohol and alcohol detection below. Or, if you think you may have a drinking problem, please let us know anonymously. We are here to help refer you to local resources and services.
Reference sources: SAMHSA/CSAT Treatment Improvement Protocols: Chapter 9, Drug Testing as a Tool
U.S. Department of the Interior Signs and Symptoms Fact Sheet on Drugs and Alcohol
U.S. Department of Transportation publication: Safety issues on drugs and alcohol
U.S. National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) publication Drug testing in a drug court environment: common issues to address
About 10% of drinkers can develop psychological and physical dependency on alcohol.
10:19 am
August 13th, 2012
i have been drinking every night for the past 4 months an average quantity of one bottle of votca.i didn’t drink any amount of alcohol 48 hours before a drug an alcohol test.will the test be positive??
7:26 pm
August 15th, 2012
Hi Panos. Thank you for your question.
Alcohol passes rapidly through the system. This is why urine tests must be conducted very quickly (within the first 12-24 hours after consumption) after alcohol consumption in order to ensure any degree of accuracy. For this reason, urine tests are generally not helpful in detecting alcohol use as opposed to illicit and prescription drug use, which is more easily traced in urine.
7:44 am
August 16th, 2012
I consumed about 3 and a half shots of whiskey (40%) aprx 16 hours before a UA What are the chances it stayed in my system long enough to be detectable.
12:12 pm
August 18th, 2012
Using an alcohol BAC calculator, a male weighing 150 pounds will have already metabolized 4 shots within 16 hours. So, it’s unlikely that the alcohol has stayed in the system long enough to be detected.
http://www.erie.gov/stopdwi/bac_calculator.asp
9:53 pm
September 4th, 2012
Is 24 hours the max alcohol can be detected in urine?I weigh about 240 pounds at 6’4″.
11:06 am
September 5th, 2012
Hi Seth. Thanks for your question. It all depends on HOW many drinks you have IN TOTAL during a 24 hour period. For example, 24 drinks in a 24 hour period for a 240 pound man can show signs of minor impairment of reasoning and memory, and a lowering of caution and can be detected in a BAC test. However, 20 drinks is a negligible amount of alcohol in your system and even this amount of alcohol in your bloodstream is not detectable after 24 hours. Check out the BAC calculator above to calculate different drink combinations within a 24 hour period.
9:44 am
September 10th, 2012
I had 2 beers 12fl.oz will it show up in urine after 7hrs?
5:14 pm
September 10th, 2012
Hello Fernando. For a male weighing 150 pounds or more, there is a negligible amount of alcohol in your system after consuming 2 beers in the course of 7 hours.
6:18 pm
September 10th, 2012
I am 118 lbs 5,1 female…I drank 5 glasses of wine, one beer, two shots and one mix drink also drank water in bw. I stopped drinking at 830 that night and had to get tested the next day at 530 will I be clean??
6:50 pm
September 11th, 2012
If you started drinking at 5:30 PM, your blood alcohol level would be -0.17 with a negligible amount of alcohol in your system for testing 12 hours later.
9:43 pm
September 12th, 2012
I weigh 187 lbs and 6’1. If I consume Roughly 5 shots of whiskey, and have about 12 6.0 beers in a day how long will it take for my system to clear?
2:10 pm
September 16th, 2012
Hi Corey. Drinking at this rate over the course of 12 hours will result in signs of minor impairment of reasoning and memory, and a lowering of caution with a BAC of 0.02. Drinking this much over the course of 13 hours, however, results in a negligible amount of alcohol in your system.
5:49 am
September 17th, 2012
what if you drank five beers and are going to be breatalize in 7 hours will it show
7:39 pm
September 17th, 2012
Hi Cindy. Thanks for your question. It really depends upon how much you weigh. You can either send that information here, or enter it into the alcohol calculator website listed above.
7:56 pm
September 17th, 2012
…..none of these answers are correct if the are testing for the metaboliyes left behind instead of testing for ethanol
9:47 pm
September 22nd, 2012
I took about 5 shots of rum roughly between 1030 pm and 12 am. I drank a decent amount of water the next day, and was drug tested around 5 pm. I am a female weighing 140 standing at 5’5. Will i pass?
10:36 am
September 23rd, 2012
Hi Jess. 17 hours after drinking five (5) shots of liquor, there is a negligible amount of alcohol in your system. Your test will most likely read NEGATIVE for alcohol intoxication.
2:42 pm
September 26th, 2012
if you drink one to two beers a day and stop drinking approx 2 days before will it show up in a UA/
1:09 pm
September 27th, 2012
Hi Tara. Alcohol only stays in the urine for about 24 hours, or one day after drinking. So a drug screen for alcohol based on urinalysis should not detect alcohol 48 hours after use.
11:52 pm
October 3rd, 2012
I am 125 Lb, female drank 4 glasses of wine at 8:30 stopped drinking at 10 pm? If I took a blood alcohol test will the alcohol show?
1:29 pm
October 4th, 2012
Hi Lue. How long after drinking stopped did you take a blood alcohol test?
12:59 am
October 7th, 2012
is there alcohol screening done in a 19023n sap 9-50/300 ex op/n. also I weigh 135 and consumed 4 glasses of wine in a 3hrs period.Will I pass a Breath Test 8 hours from now.
12:50 pm
October 8th, 2012
Hi Cindy. The drug test that you reference is a 9 panel drug substance abuse (SAP) screen. No, this does not include alcohol.
Your blood alcohol concentration will be 0.01 in 8 hours, indicating drinking but with no loss of coordination so that you will be fit to drive.
3:28 pm
October 14th, 2012
I drank 12beers ending at 2am. aprox 39hrs ago. I weigh 140 lbs. Will it show if I took a urine test now?
10:10 am
October 15th, 2012
Hi Lisa. No, the alcohol will not be detected in a urine test; it have metabolized by then – there is a negligible amount of alcohol in your system.
3:13 pm
October 15th, 2012
I have had an alcohol problem for about 7 years and suffered acute pancreatitis as well as now having liver scarring. I now find that alcohol stays in my system for much longer than usual. I am also on sleeping tablets and anti depressants. Can you account for why this is now happening?
many thanks
5:18 am
October 17th, 2012
Hi Tom. Chronic alcohol use leads to increased concentrations of the liver enzymes that metabolize alcohol. This allows the liver to break down alcohol more efficiently; therefore, the individual must consume more alcohol to reach a given BAC.
While I am not a medical professional, it does seem possible that the medications you are taking, especially if they are of the benzodiazepine or sleep hypnotic class of drugs, can possible interact with alcohol, creating a potentiating effect on alcohol, increasing its central nervous system depressant action. To identify possible causes, I’d suggest you seek a medical opinion ASAP.
10:54 pm
October 25th, 2012
Uhm. If you had 3 glasses of half soda, half vodka… for the last three days in a row (not including today) and you stopped drinking at approximately 10pm, would it show up in a urine test?
I weigh like, 155….
Thankyou! -Anna
11:27 pm
October 28th, 2012
hi a friend who weighs 175 pounds drank 2 beers and 1 cranberry kamakozy then had to ua 8 and a half hours later. will they come out clean or dirty? plz ansewer asap
11:28 pm
November 12th, 2012
my son is 30 y/o and is 170 and 5-10. he drank two pints of vodka in 24 hours. he has to take a blood alchohol test. how long will this be in his system?
5:42 am
November 13th, 2012
I drank 6 beers & might have a UA tomorrow @ 5pm will I be clean Im 44 & wiegh 170lbs its 942 now
4:31 pm
November 15th, 2012
If my BAC is 0.04 will my UA come up positive 24 hours later?
6:41 pm
November 29th, 2012
If a person drinks 2 individual bottled Vodka Martinis about 2 pm will they be detected at 1pm the next day if the woman weighs 140lbs.
2:20 am
November 30th, 2012
i drank 4 beers 16 hours before my ua i wiegh 230lbs will i pass my ua
8:57 pm
December 9th, 2012
How long would i have to stop drinking alcohol before it would not show up in a blood test
9:13 pm
December 9th, 2012
does diphenhydramine hydrochloride show up in a blood test
9:39 pm
December 11th, 2012
Hey I drank about 12 oz of 40% whiskey between 11 and 1 AM. I had an alcohol urine test at 12 PM, 11-12 hrs later after consuming the alcohol. Would the alcohol be out of my urine by than? Thank you
6:31 pm
December 12th, 2012
I am 5’11 about 175 lbs I drank 32 oz of beer from 1-2 PM, I have a BREATHALYZER test at Noon tomorrow, will anything show? I can’t even have a .001 show…
5:21 pm
December 14th, 2012
How long would I have to stop drinking before i go to the doctor for an average blood test?. I weigh 15 stones and i am a male.
4:32 pm
December 16th, 2012
How many units of alcohol should an average women take?
8:30 am
December 17th, 2012
Hello niamh. Moderate drinking is defined as no more than 1 unit of alcohol per day for women, and no more than 7 per week.
4:17 pm
January 1st, 2013
I DRANK ONCE.
HELP ME.
PEACE.
- GUY
3:52 am
January 2nd, 2013
i drank a half a pint of henny last night. i finish the bottle at 3 am i took a urine test at 7 oclock the next day wat is the possiblitly of it coming out positive\
2:18 pm
January 3rd, 2013
I drank (2) 12oz beers, (2) glasses of red wine, (3) Bacardi & Red Bulls, (5) shots of Tequila, and (3) shots of Vodka in a 12 hour time frame during the New Years celebration of 2013. I felt the effects all day the next day, but now it’s Thursday and feel no effects from the drinking. I weigh 180lbs/male. Does this mean the alcohol is out of my system and will not show up on a urinalysis testing?
9:51 pm
January 4th, 2013
My husband had 12 beers on new years and then on the 2nd of January he had 12 beers, 2 Mikes hard lemonades and 2 Smirnoffs. Today he had a blood test and I wanted to know how likely it is it will show up. He’s male, 6’1 and around 200 ib.
11:15 am
January 6th, 2013
hi i drink aprox. 5 litles of beer per day have done for many years , i need to go for a medical for my driving license back how long would i need to stay clean as they do blood , urine and a full medical . they will prob check liver count etc also ??
10:25 pm
January 9th, 2013
I drank appox. 5 shots of soutjhern comfort and 2 beers between the hours of 10:00am and 5:30pm. UA at 9:30 am tomorrow…will i pass?
12:06 am
January 19th, 2013
I’m a 47 year old female. I’m 5,2 140lbs. I drink one to 2 bottles of wine per day.
They say they can test back 72 hours for alcohol consumption of any amount. Is this accurate and what is the amount one can consume with out being detected after a 24 hour period of time?
4:40 am
January 19th, 2013
I have a drug and alcohol screening coming up. I’m not sure what type of urine test it will be is there such a thing as an advanced drug and alcohol test that can test your metabolic system for evidence of digesting alcohol?
6:10 am
January 21st, 2013
I am 26 female, weighing 122 lbs, I drank 4 malt beverages last night and 1 beer tonight, why am I feeling really buzzed, is the alcohol from last still in my system? Because I typically don’t feel buzzed after one single normal sized beer?
5:25 pm
January 28th, 2013
hi… my friend had around 20ml of whiskey and he took a urine test after 16hours … will he test positive ? He weighs around 155 pounds and is 6feet tall
9:26 pm
February 9th, 2013
Say your weight is 150 and you had 3 shots at Idk 10pm and by the afternoon say 3 o clock would it show up on a test? I’m trying to help a buddy out
8:56 pm
February 16th, 2013
I drank 4 coors lights in a span of 6 hours and ate a big meal, also drank water in between. 15 hours passed and I had to do a UA, will those beers show up?
2:51 am
February 28th, 2013
I drank 10 beers by 9PM and I had a random urine drug and alcohol test at 8AM in the morning. I weigh 190 lbs. Would I pass?
12:14 am
March 5th, 2013
a female weighing 126lbs, 5’5, and having had 3-4 glasses of red wine blew a BAC of 0.12 within 2 hours after her last glass. Is this possible?
5:16 pm
March 10th, 2013
Before starting a chemo treatment I am supposed to be alcohol free for 6 months. I had a few glasses of wine last week. If they give me a blood alcohol test next week will they be able to detect any alcohol use??
1:56 pm
March 11th, 2013
Hi Davidi. No, alcohol is usually not detected for long in a blood test. Usually, blood tests are given to see how much alcohol is in your system AT THAT MOMENT. So, the wine last week will not show up in the blood test before treatment. Wishing for your good health!!!
4:56 pm
March 13th, 2013
Hi, I am a 175 pound male. I consumed 11 beers and had a blood test 18 hours later. Will the alcohol in my system show up in the blood test.
8:13 pm
March 25th, 2013
I drank two glasses of wine on Friday and then I had one wine cooler on Saturday. I had a drug and alcohol test today which is Monday. I weigh 181 lbs and I’m 6’4″. We use the FPI drug test for drug court. Will Alcohol show up on my test I took this Monday?
9:49 pm
March 30th, 2013
If I had 4 glasses of chapagne and 1 beer from about 11:30-4:30pm, will I be able to pass a UA at 10:30AM the next morning.
5:41 pm
April 2nd, 2013
Were I go for treatment they test for alcohol by UA.They test back four days. For blood test they can go several weeks back.
2:46 pm
April 14th, 2013
binge drinking for 3 weeks 1 bottle whisky day stopped for 4 days will my blood test still show alchol in bloodstream
2:49 pm
April 14th, 2013
i had blood taken showing very high alcohol then another test after 4 days will results be bad when i never drunk for the4 days
3:13 pm
April 21st, 2013
I had 4 white wine bottle and 6 shots of vodka, I started Wednesday evening till Friday 7pm, I have my DWI urine test on Monday 7pm. if I am ok to go for urine test.Thank you
7:59 pm
April 22nd, 2013
I will be required to take the following tests in about 6 weeks – whole blood acetaldehyde, IgA and %CDT levels. I have been a heavy drinker, but plan to be abstinent from now until then. Will these tests indicate that I have been drinking?
Thanks.
5:38 am
April 25th, 2013
I drank one shot of alcohol and tested 17 hours later after drinking a lot of cranberry juice and water in the time between. Will it be detected in a urinalysis?
12:29 am
May 1st, 2013
im drinking a bud light 12 oz beer and was wondering how long it takes to leave your system
12:32 am
May 1st, 2013
i weight about 165
3:24 pm
May 1st, 2013
I drank five or 4 beers on Saturday and had a UA on Tuesday. I ran for a half hour on Monday and an hour Tuesday morning. The UA wasn’t in tell about dinner time on Tuesday. will it show up in the UA? oo yeah im 6’1 180lbs.
2:17 am
May 10th, 2013
I am 110 lbs and 5’3 female and drank on monday from 4-11pm and I have a urine test on friday at 3pm. will i pass?