FIGURE 9.6 • Blood Alcohol Concentration and Its Effects Different blood alcohol concentrations are, on average, associated with different effects. People may be motivated to drink alcohol because of the way it can affect thoughts, feelings, and behavior, but the same effects can impair functioning and, with repeated use, lead to alcohol use disorder. As shown in the graph on the right, alcohol’s effects—both desirable and undesirable—may be experienced within a few minutes and last a number of hours. The more someone has had to drink, the more impaired he or she will be for a longer period of time.