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Alcohol dilates peripheral blood vessels, but has been known to actually. constrict some blood vessels in the brain, lowering the oxygen content. Alcohol dilates peripheral blood vessels, but has been known to actually  constrict some blood vessels in the brain, lowering the oxygen content.
Alcohol slows your breathing rate, heart rate, and how well your brain functions. These effects may appear within 10 minutes and peak at around 40 to 60 minutes. Alcohol stays in your bloodstream until it is broken down by the liver. The amount of alcohol in your blood is called your blood alcohol level. If you drink alcohol faster than the liver can break it down, this level rises. Your blood alcohol level is used to legally define whether or not you are drunk. The legal limit for blood alcohol usually falls between 0.08 and 0.10 in most states.