Understanding alcohol tolerance is crucial for both casual drinkers and those who consume alcohol regularly. Tolerance to alcohol occurs when drinking the same amount no longer produces the same level of buzz. Individuals who have developed alcohol tolerance will need to consume a higher number of drinks to feel the effects. This increased tolerance may lead to higher levels of drinking, which can have negative health effects.
Contrary to popular belief, drinking more alcohol won’t prolong a good feeling. A Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level past 0.05 is still your peak buzz, but it won’t feel the same as it used to. To prevent raising your tolerance, the UHS Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Jennifer suggests two options.
Problems stemming from alcohol use include ignoring those problems, drinking despite obvious hazards, including physical danger, and retreating from important work, family, or social activities and roles. Tolerance – the need to drink more and more alcohol to feel the same effects, or the ability to drink more than other people without getting drunk – is a significant concern.
Behavioral tolerance allows some people to appear sober even after drinking a significant amount of alcohol. They may have better control over their speech, movement, appearance, and emotional state compared to inexperienced drinkers. Ethanol, like other drugs, alters dopamine transmission in the reward system, causing reward and reinforcement.
Tolerance is a measure of how much the body has lost its sensitivity to the effects of alcohol. Having an increased tolerance means it will take a greater amount of alcohol to achieve the same effect or “buzz” than before. One factor impacting tolerance is drinking repeatedly in the same environment.
Tolerance means that your body is suppressing its normal responses to toxins. You’re less likely to vomit, pass out, etc. However, reaction time and peripheral vision do not improve with tolerance. BAC and the rate at which you metabolize alcohol do not change with increased tolerance.
Mental health states often influence our consumption of alcohol. Our bodies develop a tolerance over time, allowing us to drink more and experience fewer effects. Consuming more alcohol can increase tolerance and cause escalation, which in turn requires more consumption to feel the effects, as explained by Miranda.
After continuous drinking, consumption of a constant amount of alcohol produces a lesser effect, or increasing amounts of alcohol are necessary to produce the same effect. Your body no longer protects you the way it is meant to – since you’re less likely to vomit or pass out, you may reach even higher, more toxic BAC levels.
For more information on alcohol tolerance, visit the following resources:
Center for Wellness and Health Promotion
University Health Services
Harvard Health
Open Text WSU
The Gordie Center – University of Virginia
The University of Toledo
Texas A&M Health Science Center
Bowling Green State University
