Office of Alcohol, Drug, and Health Education

Tolerance

Definition - In terms of drinking, tolerance is the body's adaptation to increasing amounts of alcohol while seemingly affecting behavior less. The more frequently a person takes the drug, and the higher the dose, the more likely it is that tolerance will develop. Often, drinkers are under the misunderstanding that developing a high tolerance is beneficial, but this is not true. Subjecting your body to increasingly higher quantities of alcohol or other drug is simply not healthy.

Cause - A person develops tolerance by drinking increasing quantity and frequency over a period of time.

Solution - Maintaining a low tolerance is important. To prevent the development of a higher tolerance, do not increase the amount of alcohol consumed and do not drink frequently.