Pharmacokinetics of ethanol in saliva: comparison with blood and breath-ethanol profiles, subjective feelings of intoxication and diminished performance, Clin

The concentration-time profiles of ethanol were deter-mined for capillary blood, end-expired breath, and saliva after 21 healthy men ingested ethanol at 0.68 g/kg body weight. Near the time of obtaining body fluids, the volun-teers estimatedtheirfeelingsof intoxication,and body sway (with open and closed eyes), hand tremor, positionalalco-hol nystagmus (PAN), and roving ocular movements (ROM) were quantitatively recorded. The concentration-time profilesof ethanol in blood, breath, and saliva agreed well within individualsbut there were large variations be-tween subjects. The mean saliva-ethanol profiles ran slightlyabove thosefor bloodand breath.Subjectiveratings of intoxicationand impairment of body function (standing steadiness and hand steadiness) were highestat the time of reaching the peak concentrations of ethanol in bod