Alcohol Testing

Examples: Beer, wine, distilled spirits

Medical uses: Rarely, if ever, used for medical purposes.

Effects attractive to abuser: Release of social inhibitions, euphoria,
sedation

Adverse effects: Same as that for barbiturates (see above). Also, use by
pregnant women, even in small ("social") amounts may have adverse effect
on the fetus.

How abused: Drunk in beverage

Period detectable after last dose: 8-10 hours

Note: Alcohol is the only drug of abuse (other than tobacco) that is
legal for all adults to use. Illegal use (as in driving while intoxicated)
is defined by the presence of a blood alcohol level of greater than 100
mg/dL (0.10% by volume) in Texas (lower in some other states). It is
impossible to determine if a subject is legally intoxicated by measurement
of the urine alcohol level.
A blood specimen must be collected for this determination to be made by
a clinical laboratory.