Alcohol

Abstract

Ethanol is the most widely detected drug in both postmortem and human performance forensic toxicology. After ingestion, ethanol is absorbed into the body primarily by passive diffusion in the small intestine. It is distributed throughout the body according to the water content of the fluid or tissue and is eliminated mainly by metabolism in the liver by oxidation. The pharmacokinetics of ethanol is best described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The primary effect of ethanol is central nervous system depression, and the extent of the depression is roughly correlated with the blood ethanol concentration. Tolerance, both dispositional and cellular, plays a key role in the individual differences to the effects of alcohol. Ethanol is quantitated in blood specimens by enzymatic or gas chromatographic methods; ethanol is measured in breath specimens by infrared spectrophotometric or electrochemical methods. Testing for ethanol in postmortem specimens may be affected by postmortem production of ethanol in blood specimens. Mandatory testing of ethanol in suspected drunk driving cases and in the workplace at established limits has been accepted as an important component of public safety.