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Alcohol Server · Recognizing Intoxication

Roughly how long does the body take to eliminate the alcohol in one standard drink?

Reviewed by Jordan Morley, Editorial Lead at 247SimpleTests. Written by the 247SimpleTests Editorial Team from the official source material cited on every question.

Correct answer

About one hour, on average

  1. A About one minute
  2. B The body never eliminates alcohol
  3. C About one hour, on average
  4. D A few seconds

Why this is the answer

On average, the body eliminates the alcohol in roughly one standard drink per hour, primarily through the liver, though the exact rate varies by individual. Importantly, nothing a person does — drinking coffee, eating, taking a cold shower — significantly speeds this process; only time reduces BAC. This is why a customer who has been drinking quickly cannot be 'sobered up' on demand, and why servers should slow service rather than assume a customer will quickly become less impaired. Understanding the elimination rate helps servers gauge intoxication realistically.
Source: Responsible Beverage Service — Alcohol Elimination

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About this topic: Recognizing Intoxication

Recognizing intoxication means reading the behavioural signs — slurred speech, loss of coordination, impaired judgement, changes in mood — rather than counting drinks. These questions cover the signs, the traffic-light assessment approach and when the point of no further service has been reached. This is one of 13 Seller-Server questions on recognizing intoxication, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

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