Just about everyone knows what alcohol does to people, but many have questions about how it works or the different effects it has under different circumstances.

How does alcohol work?

Alcohol triggers the release of dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and endorphins, and may even act upon cannabinoid receptors. Alcohol is a disinhibitor: It suppresses restraints on behavior, which is why many people act stupid when they’re drunk and many others use alcohol as a social lubricant to overcome their inhibitions.

Alcohol is also a depressant to the central nervous system, which is why people typically feel more relaxed after drinking it. This is also one of the reasons for the delayed reaction times and impaired motor functioning.

How long do the effects of alcohol last?

The effects of alcohol typically peak in less than an hour and then gradually taper off, at which point the stimulating effect often changes to sedation and/or depression. (Hanson et al., 2004, p. 143)

How long does it take a person to sober up?

This can depend on all the same variables that helped to raise blood alcohol levels in the first place, but “as a general rule, it takes as many hours as the number of drinks consumed to sober up completely.” (ibid, p. 188) There are no substances that will help a person sober up, nor will cold showers do anything to help. Products like aspirin, coffee, caffeine, and Alka-Seltzer may even make things worse by irritating the stomach lining.

Other factors that influence the effects of alcohol Alcohol’s effects can also vary by context, and the social situation or the way it’s presented can affect how quickly people become intoxicated.

For example. I..

• Subjects are more likely to feel intoxicated when drinking in an office as opposed to a bar, because of the unfamiliar setting. (McCusker & Brown, 1990)

• Alcohol that is mixed with unusual flavors has more of an effect, since this unusual delivery confuses the body’s systems and interferes with its attempts to compensate for the effect. (Remington et al., 1997)

• People are 60% slower to drink alcohol if it’s in a straight glass as opposed to a curved one. (Attwood et al., 2012)