Point Pleasant, WV – Local addiction recovery center, Hope for Tomorrow, recently released a blog covering alcohol detection time. It opens with a scene that may be familiar to many: waking up after drinking at a house party, wondering if it’s safe to drive home. Hope for Tomorrow claims this is a relevant situation for many, including those with alcohol use disorder.

They continue on to answer that question, beginning with an explanation of how the body processes alcohol. It’s mainly absorbed in the stomach and small intestine tissue, then flows through the bloodstream to the brain, according to the blog. “The liver does the heavy lifting when it comes to processing alcohol. Enzymes break up alcohol in your liver and help it expel the toxins that come with it from your body. Your body can process about one drink per hour, though this can vary a little from person to person based on a variety of factors,” the article explains.

The blog proceeds to explain how long alcohol stays in the body, sharing that the answer to that varies. They cite examples, too: alcohol stays in the blood for up to 12 hours, breath up to 24, saliva up to 24, urine up to 80, and hair as long as 90 days.

Next, Hope for Tomorrow outlines the variety of factors that contribute to alcohol detection time. One of them is the person’s sex. “Men have more water in their bodies than women, giving them a higher alcohol tolerance, and women have less of the enzyme that helps break down alcohol in the liver,” the blog explains. Body composition, medications, and the types of alcohol and food the person consumes also play a role.

The article then points out that feelings of intoxication are unreliable indicators of the amount of alcohol actually in someone’s system. According to the blog, that’s why it’s common to test people’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC). “Your BAC percentage represents how much of your blood is pure alcohol. A BAC of .1 would mean .1% of your blood is alcohol. .08 BAC or higher is the level that would get you a DUI in West Virginia. .45 BAC is usually fatal. However, how BAC levels impact you varies from person to person, just as different factors influence BAC itself,” the blog explains. It also informs the reader that the BAC gained from one drink is enough to cause symptoms of intoxication, and implores them to take care when driving after drinking.

After that, the blog details the inner workings of alcohol drug tests. It mentions the well-known breathalyzer and takes a moment to explain that it measures BAC from the lungs, which correlates to the bloodstream. The tests the article covers most comprehensively are urine tests – EtG and ethanol urine tests, to be precise. “EtG urine tests measure ethyl glucuronide, a chemical the liver produces as it processes alcohol. EtG stays in the body for a long time – up to around five days after consuming alcohol,” Hope for Tomorrow explains. According to the blog, this makes EtG tests unhelpful for DUIs, but accurate for finding out if someone drank alcohol in the past few days. Ethanol urine tests, on the other hand, are better for testing for recent alcohol consumption, the blog shares.

The blog also covers the short-term and long-term effects of alcohol for good measure. It lists a few common and likely familiar short-term effects, such as relaxation, lowered inhibitions, slurred speech, and impaired judgment. “The long-term effects of alcohol are a little less obvious, but it might be even more important to know them,” the article points out. These long-term effects include increased stomach acid, shrinking brain cell size, ulcers, colon and small intestine irritation, liver disease, and more. “​​The best way to avoid these long-term effects is to drink responsibly and in moderation. However, for people with alcohol use disorder, that’s incredibly difficult without help,” Hope for Tomorrow acknowledges.

The end of the article focuses on the importance of seeking help for alcohol addiction. “If you have an alcohol use disorder, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. 29.5 million people in the United States had an alcohol use disorder in 2022, so you aren’t alone. You shouldn’t try to recover on your own, either. Instead, seek out alcoholism treatment, and change your life for the better,” it closes.

Hope for Tomorrow is an addiction recovery center in West Virginia. They provide care for everyone in need, no matter their life story or station – including couples, veterans, pregnant women, people with other medical conditions, and more. Their staff is highly passionate and focused on addressing every aspect of addiction, including mental health. To learn more about Hope for Tomorrow, visit their website or call them at 877-679-8162.

“Treatment today for a brighter tomorrow.”

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For more information about Hope For Tomorrow-Point Pleasant, contact the company here:

Hope For Tomorrow-Point Pleasant
Cristina Villalon
(304) 902-8532
beckley@myhopefortomorrow.com
3471 Ohio River Rd Point Pleasant WV 25550