Does Alcohol Show Up on a Drug Test?

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How Does Your Body Process Alcohol?

As we’ll discuss a bit later in today’s post, the answer to the question does alcohol show up on a drug test can be influenced by several factors. One factor is how the processes alcohol.

Absorption and distribution

When you drink alcohol, the drug enters your bloodstream by being absorbed through tissues in your stomach and small intestine. 

It typically takes 20-60 seconds for blood to make a complete circuit through a person’s body, so once the alcohol has been absorbed into the bloodstream it will quickly be carried to tissues and organs throughout the individual’s system. 

According to Northwestern Medicine, it usually takes about five minutes for alcohol to reach the brain, and another five minutes before it begins to alter brain functions.

Stages of intoxication

The initial effects of one drink are typically minor, with the individual likely to be exhibiting no obvious signs of intoxication. But if they continue to drink, that will quickly change.

• When a person’s blood alcohol content (BAC) rises to 0.03%-0.12%, common effects include improved mood, talkativeness, and increased confidence. For men, it usually takes two to five standard drinks within about two hours to get to this level. For women, it commonly takes one to four drinks. 
• A BAC of 0.09%-0.28% causes effects such as blurred vision and slurred speech, impaired coordination and balance, delayed reaction time, and poor judgement. The legal BAC limit for driving in the U.S. is 0.08%, so a person who reaches this stage should definitely not be behind the wheel.
• As a person’s BAC continues to rise, their ability to function will continue to decrease. When their BAC exceeds .25% they may lose the ability to control certain body functions, such as balance and coordination. They may also exhibit profound confusion and disorientation. A BAC of .35%-.45% can put a person in coma and may be fatal.

Metabolism and elimination

At the same time that alcohol is affecting a person’s body and mind, their body will be working to break the drug down into component parts so that it can be eliminated. The majority of this process, which is referred to as metabolism, occurs in the liver.

As blood containing alcohol passes through the liver, two enzymes – alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) – filter out the alcohol molecules and begin to break them down. As described by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA):

• ADH temporarily converts alcohol into a toxic substance called acetaldehyde. 
• ALDH turns acetaldehyde into acetate, which is far less dangerous to the body.
• The acetate is then broken down into water and carbon dioxide, which can easily be eliminated via urine and breath.

Once a person’s BAC peaks, the metabolism process will reduce their blood alcohol content at a rate of about 0.015% per hour. So if a person’s BAC was at the legal limit (.08%) when they stopped drinking, it would take their body about five and a half hours to eliminate all of the alcohol from their system.

Does Alcohol Show Up on a Drug Test?

Does alcohol show up on a blood test? As we noted at the outset of today’s post, the answer to this question can be influenced by several factors. We’ve already addressed two of those factors: how much alcohol the person consumed and how long ago they stopped drinking.

Two other influential factors are the type of drug screen a person takes and the type of sample they’re required to provide.

Types of drug screens

Standard employment-related drug screenings usually involve five-, seven-, or 10-panel tests:

• A five-panel test is designed to detect cannabis (marijuana), amphetamine, cocaine, opiates, and phencyclidine (PCP or angel dust).
• A seven-panel test usually looks for the five drugs above, plus benzodiazepines and barbiturates.
• A 10-panel test adds methadone, propoxyphene, and methaqualone to the list of detectable substances.

As you probably noticed, none of these standard tests are set up to detect alcohol. So if you take any of these three types of screenings, you definitely won’t test positive for alcohol.

You may test positive if you’re required to take a test that has been specifically created to detect alcohol. Reasons why you may be given this type of test include:

• You’ve been pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence.
• You were involved in an automobile accident.
• You have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and are subject to random tests for alcohol and other drugs.
• You are living in a sober home that mandates drug and alcohol tests for continued residence.

Alcohol detection window

Alcohol isn’t eliminated from every part of your body at the same rate. So the length of time you may test positive can also depend on which type of sample you need to provide for analysis:

• Urine: Alcohol is usually detectable in urine for 12-24 hours after you stopped drinking. But if the test is also designed to find alcohol metabolites, you could test positive for up to 72 hours (three days) after your last drink. 
• Breath: As with a standard urine screening, breath tests can usually find evidence of alcohol use for about 12-24 hours after a person stopped drinking. These types of tests are commonly given during roadside sobriety assessments, primarily because they are easy to administer, return results rapidly, and can calculate BAC as well as simply determine if someone has alcohol in their system.
• Blood: With most blood tests, you’ll only test positive for alcohol for about 12 hours after your most recent drink. Blood tests for alcohol aren’t common, with their use often limited to individuals who can’t give a urine or breath test because they are unconscious.

Find Help for Alcohol Addiction in Massachusetts

The best way to be sure you never test positive for alcohol is not to drink. If that’s difficult or impossible for you to do, you may benefit from some professional help.

Lake Avenue Recovery in Worcester, MA, offers two levels of personalized care for people who have become addicted to alcohol and other drugs: a high-intensity outpatient program (which is similar to a partial hospitalization program or PHP) and an intensive outpatient program (IOP).

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.