How are average-sized and above-average-sized people sometimes able to develop huge tolerances to alcohol and not immediately die?

Question

I’m sure we’ve all heard and read endless anecdotes about the guy who got pulled over and blew a .46, or someone that can drink entire bottle of vodka. Or Ric Flair, for example, who told a story in a documentary about a time when he drank a six-pack of beer before arriving at an airport, drank 10 double tequila, cranberry and sodas before the flight at the airport bar, had eight bloody Mary’s on the flight, and drank another six-pack of beer upon landing. Like, how does that not kill someone?

In: 876

Answer 1

I was the 100 lb woman drinking a fifth on an empty stomach in my 20s. Tolerance is something you build up to. It’s ill advised.

Humans are highly adaptive. We adjust to extremes through adaptation. Tolerance develops through repetition. Drink, get sick, repeat until less sickness occurs. It’s really that simple. However, our body is still feeling the effects even if we numb ourselves to them. That’s where the disease side of addiction comes in.