Does height magnify the effects of alcohol? If you have a drink in the mountains does it effect you more than at sea level? If you have a drink at 30,000 feet does it affect you more than at sea level? If so, why?
Yes, persons who are not acclimatized will be more affected by alcohol at high altitude (5000 ft. or higher). There is less oxygen at altitude and it takes a person awhile to adjust to this. Also, one of the body’s responses to a sudden increase in altitude is to dump fluids (via urination), and this can cause dehydration. A dehydrated person will have an exaggerated response to alcohol (which also causes dehydration).
Yes, it does have an effect. I am too lazy to dig up my diving books, but they give more precise info on how pressure changes affect you and why. Although it’s a different scenario than what you ask, if you drive up to a high mountain lake and go diving, you have to adjust your dive table stuff to accomodate these effects. We were also told in high school from a travel agent to be careful when drinking on planes as the alcohol affects you more. Having never tried it, I can’t give details on how much, but it is true. If you look around on the net for things like “altitude sickness” you might find more - same sort of things that happen when climbing up Everest; (although plane cabins are pressurized a bit).
Just a WAG here, but there’s a afir bit of energy chewed dehydrogenating and excreting alcohol. If you’re suffering oxygen deprivation the alcohol’s going to hang around in your bloodstream longer and your BAC is going to rise faster.