Alcohol is water soluble and therefore is absorbed primarily by water in the body. Absorption sites include the blood and the water fluid inside and surrounding the cells. The alcohol is therefore absorbed by most organs including the brain. With an ethanol molecule present, this enzyme binds more tightly to its substrate. Extremely high or low levels of these ions can cause respiratory problems as well as heart beat irregularities.
Death occurs most often when a person drinks in excess and passes out.
The alcohol still in their stomach causes the valve leading to the intestines to spasm causing the person to vomit. Vomiting is essentially a last ditch effort by the body to get the alcohol out of the body before it passes into the intestines where it will be absorbed. If the person is unconscious at the time, there is a good chance they will essentially choke on their own vomit. Metabolism models can be developed which take drinking habits into account. Therefore, if alcohol and Tylenol are consumed at the same time, the alcohol and the acetaminophen both compete for the same enzyme.