California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Certification Practice Exam

How does the human body process alcohol?

1. Through the kidneys only

2. Mostly through the stomach lining

3. Mostly through the small intestine

4. Primarily through the lungs

The correct answer is: Mostly through the small intestine

The human body primarily processes alcohol through the small intestine because this is where most of the absorption of nutrients and substances occurs. While some alcohol may be broken down by the stomach lining, the majority is absorbed into the bloodstream through the small intestine and then processed by the liver. The kidneys may help in filtering out some of the byproducts of alcohol metabolism, but they are not the primary organ involved in processing alcohol. Additionally, alcohol is not processed through the lungs, although it can be detected on the breath due to the small amount that is exhaled through respiration.