How Elevation Affects Alcohol Tolerance In Wyoming

Evansville Police, along with Casper PD and the Natrona County Sheriff's Office, had a wild time on Saturday night. A man from California got pretty schnockered and started causing issues in a local bar. He was removed from the bar, but kept trying to get back inside. At one point, he grabbed a knife and was banging on the door trying to get back in. When police arrived, they found the man in the parking lot and took him into custody.

You can read the full report on the Evansville PD Facebook Page.

Reading this report made me think about how often this happens to flatlanders who come to the high country and think they can drink as much as they do at home. In this particular case, I'm not sure where this guy is from in California, but there are places in that state where the elevation is below sea level, and the highest elevation is at 14,505 feet above sea level.

If you don't spend much time in a higher elevation area, alcohol can really affect your system.

Lower oxygen levels — Thinner air means less oxygen in your blood, and your brain is already slightly oxygen-deprived. Alcohol amplifies this effect, making you feel tipsy faster.
Dehydration — You lose more water through respiration at altitude (you breathe harder and faster). Since alcohol is also a diuretic, the two combine to dehydrate you more quickly, which intensifies the effects.
Acclimatization — If you're not used to the altitude, your body is already under stress adapting, leaving less physiological "reserve" to process alcohol normally.

I'm not saying that's what happened in Evansville on Saturday night, but it's something that happens to folks all the time when they visit Wyoming.

Now, if you live here in the higher elevations and go to a lower elevation, the tables are turned, and that can be dangerous and expensive.

Alcohol may actually feel slightly milder at first at low elevation. Your body is better oxygenated than usual, giving you more physiological buffer. Hangovers may be less severe due to better hydration retention at lower altitudes. These factors could lead to you drinking more than usual, and more booze means more money spent.

So the bottom line is, be aware of your surroundings and situation if you're drinking anywhere away from home.