How long does it take for the alcohol concentration to drop to 0 after drinking 5 glasses of strong alcohol?

I like to drink strong alcohol, about 5-6 cups at a time. How long does it take for me to get rid of all the alcohol? (Nguyen Van Hung - 34 years old, Hanoi). 

Doctor Nguyen Huy Hoang - Vietnam - Russia High Pressure Oxygen Center ( Ministry of Defense ) advises :​ ​

To answer this question, you need to understand the concept of alcohol units. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 unit of alcohol is 10g of ethanol equivalent to 1 glass of strong alcohol 30ml above 40 degrees, 2/3 of a 330ml can of beer, 1 glass of yellow wine 70-75ml. 

There are three ways to metabolize alcohol in the human body: in the liver, through sweat glands on the skin and the respiratory system. Of which, about 90% is metabolized through the liver's enzyme system thanks to two main enzymes: alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase.

In the human body, if there are 2 types of enzymes above, alcohol will be broken down faster, the central nervous system will be less affected. When you drink too much, faster than the enzyme's ability to break down or lack of metabolizing enzymes, you will fall into a state of drunkenness.

A normal person with good liver function will need 1 hour to eliminate 1 unit of alcohol. Thus, if you drink 5 units of alcohol, it will take 5 hours to eliminate the alcohol concentration. After that, you need another 2 hours to completely eliminate it through the respiratory tract to help your breath clear the alcohol concentration.

However, during Tet, drinking more alcohol puts pressure on the body, and the time it takes to eliminate alcohol concentration may be longer than expected.

To ensure health and safety during Tet, it is best for everyone not to drink too much; do not use more than 2 units of alcohol/day for men, 1 unit of alcohol/day for women, do not use alcohol more than 5 days/week. 

When drinking alcohol, you need to pay attention if you have symptoms such as repeated vomiting that does not subside, abdominal pain, impaired consciousness, hypothermia (cold skin, difficulty breathing, drowsiness), you should go to a medical facility immediately for timely treatment. 

Lesley Montoya

Update 10 February 2025