A quantitative theory of acute tolerance to alcohol.

A theory of acute tolerance to alcohol is proposed that includes two assumptions: 1) acute tolerance is a linear process with time, and 2) the slope of the line is a measure of the magnitude of the acute tolerance effect. Evidence that supports the validity of the theory is presented both from studies in which blood alcohol level (BAL) was manipulated experimentally and from studies based on the one-dose method that is common in human research. The slope of the acute tolerance line defined by this theory is a measure of the percent decrement in maximum alcohol effect per unit time. Thus, quantitative comparisons can be made of acute tolerance effects obtained under different environmental conditions or experimental treatments, including comparisons of different drugs. Limitations of the proposed theory and the relation of this theory to other theories of tolerance to alcohol are discussed.