ABSTRACT
Ethanol acts as a depressant of the central nervous system and impairs cognitive and psychomotor functioning in a dose-dependent manner depending on the blood-alcohol concentration reaching the brain. This chapter reviews the disposition and fate of ethanol in the body from an historical perspective and gives an update of the many factors influencing Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion of ethanol in the human body. Knowledge about forensic pharmacokinetics of ethanol owes much to the pioneering research and publications of Erik MP Widmark, who was professor of physiological chemistry at the University of Lund in Southern Sweden. The pattern of drinking, the concentration of ethanol in the drink and the presence of food in the stomach are major determinants of the speed of ethanol absorption into the blood. The two main enzymes involved in the metabolism of ethanol are Class I alcohol dehydrogenase, located in the cytosol fraction and Class II aldehyde dehydrogenase within the mitochondria.
