Final answer:
It takes approximately 2.5 hours on average for the body to metabolize a standard drink of alcohol, although factors like sex and individual enzyme levels can cause variations. The liver metabolizes alcohol and its processes cannot be sped up artificially; five hours is generally the minimum time for a person at the legal intoxication limit to metabolize the alcohol and reach sobriety.
Step-by-step explanation:
On average, it takes one's body approximately 2.5 hours to metabolize a standard drink. The liver is responsible for metabolizing up to 85%-98% of the alcohol in the bloodstream through two primary metabolic processes. It is important to note that these averages can vary 25-30% among individuals. Women typically metabolize alcohol more slowly than men. Additionally, heavy drinking can stimulate the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), which will metabolize most of the excess ethanol ingested during such periods.
Alcohol is metabolized at a fixed rate, and factors such as drinking coffee or taking a shower will not speed up this process. The legal limit for intoxication typically corresponds with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08%. For a legally intoxicated person, it takes at least five hours to achieve sobriety after stopping drinking. The metabolism of alcohol, which is measured in terms of a steady decrease in blood ethanol concentration, does not increase with greater quantities of alcohol consumed, as it is limited by the amount of metabolizing enzymes in the liver.