# Alcohol Tolerance **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 21, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-tolerance/176578 "2003-05-21T15:44:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-tolerance/176578/1 "2003-05-21T15:44:56Z")
Anybody know why it is that getting hammered on Friday means that you have a massively increased tolerance to booze on Saturday. Whenever I happen to have 2 consecutive drinking days this always happens to me. My tipple of choice happens to be Stella Artois. Does this happen to anyone else? What is the scientific reason for it? I am guessing that the reason will be related to why 2 pints would get me p\*ssed when i was 16 but I can now have 2 pints and seem sober? ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-tolerance/176578/2 "2003-05-21T15:50:24Z")
Well alcohol is a poison, and like most poisons the body can build up a resistance to it. As for your first question, my WAG is that the effects of a hangover will counteract most of the europhic affects of drinking, making you feel more sober. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-tolerance/176578/3 "2003-05-21T15:57:29Z")
Alcohol is an enzyme inducer. Exposure to it causes the body to make more of the enzymes needed to break it down. It also has zero-order kinetics, dose != effect. Your liver detoxifies 1 unit of alcohol every hour. 2 units will take 2 hours to leave your system, 4 units will take 4 hours and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-tolerance/176578/4 "2003-05-21T17:53:17Z")
Its also interesting to note that a high tolerance for alcohol (as in the proverbial “boy, that guy can hold is liquor”) is very frequently associated with the eventual development of alcoholism.