Alcohol burns off at a precise rate. Despite what many people believe, there is no way to speed up this process. Coffee may make you more alert, but it will not get rid of the alcohol that is still in your body.
Regardless of size or gender, the .016 metabolic rate is a constant. So if you are trying to remove all the alcohol from your system, all you can do is wait the length of time it will take for your body to get rid of all of the alcohol in your system (see How long does alcohol stay in my system? for times).
If you are at a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level of .24 (which is very drunk – you will likely be stumbling and risk blacking out), you will still have alcohol in your body the next day, and you will still be legally drunk for 10 more hours.
Source: How Long Does Alcohol Stay In Your System @ AlcoholStuff
Further help
- Freephone 0800 917 8282 (Drinkline)
Read more
- Drinking: Facts for Teens @ Family Doctor
Excerpt: If I have been drinking, is there anything I can do to sober up quickly? No. It takes time for your body to get all the alcohol out of your system. Many people think coffee can help, but it can’t make you sober or improve your reaction times if you’ve been drinking. It can make you think you’re alert when you’re really not.
- How much alcohol can I drink before driving? @ NHS Choices
Excerpt: How long do the effects last? Alcohol takes time to leave your body. For example: if you drink at lunchtime, you may be unfit to drive in the evening; if you drink in the evening, you may be unfit to drive the next morning. There’s no quick way of sobering up. Drinking coffee or taking a cold shower won’t help. Many hours after drinking, you could still be over the legal limit or unfit to drive.
image by simonlees under CC0 license