Why is alcohol more effective at higher elevation?

Question

I heard this is true, and am feeling it tonight in Colorado.

In: 24

Answer 1

ELI5 answer: oxygen is (one thing) that keeps your body and brain functioning normally. Higher elevation settings have less oxygen. Alcohol screws up your body’s ability to efficiently use oxygen. Your body has two things (less oxygen, being drunk) going against it in terms of oxygen usage—-instead of just one (being drunk)

You don’t have more alcohol in your blood, but it could very well seem that way. Scientifically, I don’t know how impactful each 1000m of elevation is.

It might be worth asking r/askscience how much of this is about oxygen consumption vs placebo effect vs something else.