Typically, it takes two hours for your body to metabolize one standard drink.

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How Does Alcohol Affect the Body?

Digestive System

Your stomach and small intestine absorb alcohol before it moves into your bloodstream.

Woman drinking a glass of red wine in a restaurant

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Immune System

Alcohol suppresses the immune systems ability to fight infection and keep you healthy.

A BAC of 0.40 or higher causes respiratory failure and can lead to death.

The higher your BAC, the longer it will take to sober up.

The amount of time it takes to sober up primarily depends on how much alcohol youve consumed.

How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System?

The liver eliminates alcohol at a rate of 10 to 30 mg/dL per hour.

Is There a Faster Way to Sober Up From Alcohol?

You may have heard about quick-fix methods that help you sober up faster than average.

Unfortunately, there is no way to speed up the process of eliminating alcohol from your body.

The only way to sober up is to allow your liver time to metabolize the alcohol youve consumed.

What Happens When Alcohol Consumption Stops?

Once you stop drinking, your body continues to metabolize alcohol.

These symptoms typically appear several hours after your last drink and can last up to 24 hours.

Like any drug, alcohol use can lead to addiction oralcohol use disorder(AUD).

Talk to your healthcare provider if you suspect you have alcohol addiction and want to getsober.

When youre addicted to alcohol, sobriety involves more than just waiting for alcohol to leave your system.

It can be a challenging journey that causes withdrawal symptoms and requires emotional and sometimes medical support.

Medical support can help you safely navigate withdrawal and begin your journey to recovery andlong-term sobriety.

Summary

Sobering up after drinking alcohol takes time.

The average liver in a healthy adult metabolizes one drink in approximately two hours.

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