If I drank about 44 ounces of beer on Monday over 5 hours, up till about 11pm and I had to take a urine test on tues at 1pm would it show up? I'm 6ft tall and weigh about 160lbs.

Assuming good health there wouldn't be any detectable alcohol (EtOH) in your system after about 2 hours following last drink. Of course EtOH remains in your bladder until urination.

That is considering you drank this amount somewhat evenly spaced across 5 hours and assumes 5% abv. Calculated at 48 oz = 4 standard drinks (US).

Would it also help if I drank 64 oz of water and relieved my batter over 3 times before taking the urine test?

Would it also help if I drank 64 oz of water and relieved my batter over 3 times before taking the urine test?

Of course urination is necessary but beyond that there is no special effort required for EtOH clearance at that time.

If this is an EtG test, that checks for a breakdown product after the alcohol is gone then you have big problems. You will have high levels of this metabolite at that time.

Of course urination is necessary but beyond that there is no special effort required for EtOH clearance at that time period.

If this is an EtG test, that checks for a breakdown product after the alcohol is gone then you have big problems. You will have high levels of this metabolite at that time period.

I heard the EtG test can produce false positives? Such as drinking mouthwash? Is this true?

I heard the EtG test can produce false positives? Such as drinking mouthwash? Is this true?

Also do you know what type of test probation depts use?

I heard the EtG test can produce false positives? Such as drinking mouthwash? Is this true?

That is correct... thousands of items cause false positive reads on EtG tests

Have no idea what various agencies use. EtG is only of value when total abstinence is a requirement or goal.

That is correct...thousands of items cause false positive reads on EtG tests

Have no idea what various agencies use. EtG is only of value when total abstinence is a requirement or goal.

Can u tell me the most common things that can produce a false positive?

Testing laboratories maintain no record of false positive or negative results.

If you are dealing with an administrative agent of some sort they accept the result as accurate and have no knowledge of the testing process.

If you have consumed alcohol and claim a false positive you have no where to go with the claim. You can't request another type of test, such as PEth because that would confirm drinking.

However, any product that you eat or drink that contains ethanol can cause a false positive. Any product used in personal hygiene, shaving lotion, hair treatments, etc that are inhaled can cause a false positive.

Assuming good health there wouldn't be any detectable alcohol (EtOH) in your system after about 2 hours following last drink. Of course EtOH remains in your bladder until urination.

That is considering you drank this amount somewhat evenly spaced across 5 hours and assumes 5% abv. Calculated at 48 oz = 4 standard drinks (US).


Hello DrBill, I am taking a urine test that tests for THC50, opiates, cocaine, and Etoh (according to the printout I get after the test). In regards to alcohol, are you saying that as long as I haven't drank any alcohol 2 hours before the test and have gone to the bathroom, my test won't come back positive? That sounds like a rather pointless test if that is the case. Also, being that it lists those things on the paper, does that mean that it is NOT an EtG test (which Ive heard can detect alcohol use for 4-5 days)?

Thank you very much for your help

Hello DrBill, I am taking a urine test that tests for THC50, opiates, cocaine, and Etoh (according to the printout I get after the test). In regards to alcohol, are you saying that as long as I havent drank any alcohol 2 hours before the test and have gone to the bathroom, my test wont come back positive? That sounds like a rather pointless test if that is the case. Also, being that it lists those things on the paper, does that mean that it is NOT an etg test (which Ive heard can detect alcohol use for 4-5 days)?

Thank you very much for your help

No not quite. EtOH is ethyl alcohol that is being tested for. EtOH is eliminated at a fixed steady rate per drink. It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes per standard drink (US)=14g pure alcohol. To be safe I recommend allowing 2 hours per drink.

A UEtOH test does not detect EtG, and vice versa. So if that is the test that is being performed it will not, cannot detect EtG which is a longer lasting metabolite of EtOH that is measurable in urine for a longer period but no where near 5 days.

So if you had one drink allow two hours for clearance, 2 drinks-4 hours 3 drinks 6 hours. That is always safe interval. UEtOH testing isn't very effective as it only detects the amount of remaining alcohol in system... after urination of course.

If this test is work related they probably cannot test for EtG.

So being that the tested items listed are Etoh, cocaine, opiates, and thc50, I can safely assume that EtG is not being tested? From your description of the Etoh test, 2 hours per drink, that would be close to as effective as a breathalyzer in measuring alcohol use and if I give myself a day or 2 after drinking I should be fine correct (assuming I follow the 2 hrs pr drink rule)

Thanks again!

so being that the tested items listed are Etoh, cocaine, opiates, and thc50, I can safely assume that etg is not being tested? from your description of the Etoh test, 2 hours per drink, that would be close to as effective as a breathalyzer in measuring alcohol use and if I give myself a day or 2 after drinking I should be fine correct (assuming I follow the 2 hrs pr drink rule)

thanks again!

You hit it on the nose. UEtOH is in the same class as breathalyzer or blood test. EtOH is measurable in urine for about 20 minutes longer or until urination. The primary purpose of the class is to test for current impairment or very recent drinking and not past drinking behavior. It is only during that approx. 20 minute elimination phase that UEtOH cannot be directly correlated with BAC or BrAC.

I make no assumptions about the validity of any document provided by a commercial drug tester or collection center. Caveat lector - let the reader beware.

Follow the two hour rule and you will never under estimate clearance time for any EtOH based test.

I see, however I do see some people posting (on this site as well) things like


AA says: "As a general rule of thumb, the major metabolite in alcohol, ethanol, can be detected in your blood for up to 24 hours and in your urine for up to 48 hours.

Is this inaccurate? You seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject and Id like to run that by you for assurance.
A very good friend of mine is moving across country and is having a going away party at a lounge/bar on Saturday. I would like to share a few drinks with him, but I am to be tested on Monday (6PM). Is that a bad idea?

I see, however I do see some people posting (on this site as well) things like



Is this inaccurate? You seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject and Id like to run that by you for assurance.


Ethanol is not a metabolite of alcohol. Ethanol is the type of alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages. They are one and the same for the purpose of this discussion. Elimination time is determined entirely by the amount of pure alcohol in your system.

Here is a link that will show you how to calculate elimination using the Widmark Formula. That is the method used to approximate alcohol clearance considering, gender, weight used in most forensic applications.

Widmark Formula (http://www.wikihow.com/Calculate-Blood-Alcohol-Content-(Widmark-Formula))

Another way is to use an on-line BAC calculator and enter the number of drinks and that will provide an approximate BAC.

Here is a good BAC calculator (http://www.1webapps.com/apps/calculators/bac-calculator/) that considers both gender, weight and pace of consumption.

After you obtain the BAC from above divide the result by .013 the result is the number of hours that will be required to return to BAC=0*

That provides a low estimate. To determine the range divide BAC from above by .010 and then .024. It is relatively certain that your actual clearance time will fall somewhere in that range. The range is like a minimum and maximum timeline.

My two hour recommendation is based on an elimination rate of .010 that is the low end of the range for males. Always safe and provides a margin of error that prevents over estimation.