Alcohol Elimination
As a general rule of thumb, the average individual can eliminate about .5 oz (15 ml) of alcohol each hour. This means that it would take about one hour in order for your body to eliminate the alcohol in that 12-oz can of beer you just drank. Alcohol elimination occurs between 0.010 to 0.019 grams per hour. Thus, it takes about 15 to 45 minutes after an individual has last consumed his or her last drink for the body to begin eliminating the alcohol through metabolism, excretion, and evaporation. Our bodies eliminate a small amount of alcohol through excretion and evaporation. Alcohol is excreted through tears, urine, sweat, saliva, and semen. The excretion factor is most often why a person "smells" of alcohol. Our metabolisms account for about 95% of alcohol elimination. Generally, a person metabolizes an average drink (5 oz. of alcohol) per hour.
Alcohol begins evaporating from the blood into the lungs and is eliminated in breath, allowing one's consumption to be measured with a breath machine test. Note, however, that although alcohol is eliminated in the breath, not all evaporated air from the lungs is equal in alcohol concentration. The greater amount of alcohol concentration in the lungs arises after a long exhalation of breath, where the air has been in closest proximity to the blood. This is why a DUI suspect is asked to take a deep breath before blowing into a breath machine by the police.
Because the metabolism of alcohol can be affected by various things, it is important for California DUI attorneys to review all factors of when a client was given a breath machine test. Generally, the police will administer chemical tests about an hour or so after they have stopped a driver, and the driver's blood-alcohol content at the time of "driving" must then be estimated. An experienced California DUI/DWI lawyer can use these factors to their client's advantage, and most often attain favorable results. |