Intoximeters, experts in Breath Alcohol Testing since , provides the following white paper as a public courtesy. We specialize in evidential breath alcohol testing instruments and training , and are trusted by law enforcement and government regulatory agencies world-wide as a leader in the industry.
Alcohol and the Human Body 1. Alcohol is a general term denoting a family of organic chemicals with common properties. Members of this family include ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, and others. This introduction discusses the physical, chemical, and physiological aspects of the most commonly ingested of these — ethanol. Alcohol ethanol is a clear, volatile liquid that burns oxidizes easily.
It has a slight, characteristic odor and is very soluble in water. Alcohol is an organic compound composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen; its chemical formula is C2H5OH. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and it is the central nervous system which is the bodily system that is most severely affected by alcohol see chart below.
The degree to which the central nervous system function is impaired is directly proportional to the concentration of alcohol in the blood. When ingested, alcohol passes from the stomach into the small intestine, where it is rapidly absorbed into the blood and distributed throughout the body. Because it is distributed so quickly and thoroughly the alcohol can affect the central nervous system even in small concentrations.
In low concentrations, alcohol reduces inhibitions. With very high concentrations — greater than 0. The American Medical Association has defined the blood alcohol concentration level of impairment for all people to be 0. The following is a generally accepted guide to the effects of alcohol. Stages of alcohol intoxication 3. Absorption 4. Alcohol is absorbed from all parts of the gastrointestinal tract largely by simple diffusion into the blood.
