Food, by the way, tends to slow the absorption rate of alcohol. No one has found a way to hasten the sobering up process. It takes the body about one hour to process one drink. Generally, small amounts of alcohol will not adversely affect body organs or functions. Heavy and prolonged use can, however, adversely affect the heart, liver, stomach and other vital body organs.
Intoxication is a temporary state that is brought on by the use of alcohol.
Alcoholism, on the other hand , is a serious and continuing illness in which the individual is actually addicted to the alcohol. The prolonged and habitual use of alcohol in any form can lead to addiction and alcoholism. With the continued and prolonged use of alcohol, your body can develop a degree of physical dependency on the alcohol in which the body requires certain blood alcohol levels. Most people who drink do not become alcoholics. Although more men than women are identified as alcoholics, the percentage of women alcoholics has increased dramatically within the last 10 years.