Forensic toxicologist discusses alcohol consumption and the body Alcohol consumption and the body By Gerry Kupferschmidt, B.Sc., M.Sc. Mr. Kupferschmidt is a forensic toxicologist and expert on chemical and analytical considerations related to forensic science. He provides forensic consulting, laboratory and expert witness services across Canada. A longer version of this article is on his website . Absorption is the passage of alcohol into the blood.
Distribution is the temporary placement of alcohol into body tissue.
Elimination is the removal of alcohol from the body. Diffusion is the method of passage of alcohol through cell membranes, and is governed by concentration differences on either side of the cell wall. Food, kind and quantity of beverage, weight, sex, and rate of elimination determine BAC after the consumption of alcohol. BAC is a measure of the difference between the rates of absorption and elimination. The change in BAC with time may be described graphically as a blood alcohol curve, where the absorption phase is represented by a rising limb and the elimination phase by a falling limb.