Short answer: EtG in urine is often detectable for ~12 to 96 hours after you finish drinking — but the dose, timing, cutoff, and individual factors matter.
Rule‑of‑thumb ranges (urine)
| Drinks (standard) | Pattern | Typical EtG window (after finish time) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Light | ~12–24 h | Upper end varies with cutoff & hydration |
| 3–5 | Moderate | ~24–48 h | Spacing drinks may shorten the upper bound |
| 6–8 | Heavy | ~36–72 h | Broad range to be conservative |
| 9+ | Binge | ~48–96 h | Some cases exceed 96 h at low cutoffs |
Standard drink (US): ~14 g ethanol (12 oz beer ≈ 5% ABV, 5 oz wine ≈ 12%, 1.5 oz spirits ≈ 40%).
Cutoff effect
| Lab cutoff (ng/mL) | Typical effect on window |
|---|---|
| 100 | Longest detection (more sensitive) |
| 200–300 | Middle ground |
| 500 | Shorter detection (less sensitive) |
A conservative heuristic
- Pick the base range from the table using total standard drinks.
- If weight < 60 kg, add up to ~6 h to the upper bound.
- If female, add up to ~6 h to the upper bound.
- Compare against your program’s cutoff: lower cutoffs tend to extend detection.
This is a heuristic, not a medical model.
Example
- Scenario: 6 drinks, finished at 22:00 two nights ago (≈ 30 h ago), female, 55 kg, cutoff 200 ng/mL.
- Base window: 36–72 h (heavy).
- Adjustments: +6 h (weight) +6 h (sex) → 36–84 h conservative upper bound.
- Hours remaining: ~36–84 − 30 ⇒ ~6–54 h remaining.
Important
Hydration (dilution), renal function, time distribution of drinks, and individual metabolism can materially shift outcomes.
FAQ
Q: Is the 12-96 hour window accurate for everyone? A: No, this is a general range. Individual factors like weight, gender, metabolism, hydration, and the specific lab cutoff can significantly affect detection times.
Q: What happens if I drink water to dilute my urine? A: Dilution can lower EtG concentration, but labs often check creatinine levels or specific gravity to detect dilution. Some programs consider diluted samples as positive or require retesting.
Q: Do the detection windows apply to all types of alcohol? A: Yes, EtG is produced from ethanol regardless of the source - beer, wine, spirits, or even alcohol in food/medicine will produce EtG metabolites.
Q: Why is there such a wide range (12-96 hours)? A: The range accounts for different drinking patterns (light vs binge), individual physiology, lab cutoffs, and other variables. Light drinking might clear in 12-24 hours while heavy drinking could be detected for 3-4 days.
Q: Can I calculate my exact detection window? A: No exact calculation exists. The heuristics in this article provide conservative estimates, but actual results depend on many unpredictable individual factors.
Q: What if I had drinks spread over several days? A: The detection window typically starts from your last drink. However, repeated drinking over several days can extend the overall detection period beyond single-session estimates.
Q: Do lab cutoffs really make that big of a difference? A: Yes. A 100 ng/mL cutoff might detect EtG for 3-4 days after heavy drinking, while a 500 ng/mL cutoff might only detect for 1-2 days from the same drinking session.
Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal, or employment advice.