Why you should consider options besides a breathalyzer in DUI cases

A lot of the time when a person is arrested on a police officer’s suspicion of drunk driving the driver may have had a drink or two but still might lack the feeling of being under the influence of alcohol. The next part of the process is for the supposed DUI offender to take a breathalyzer, blood test, or even a urine test. The most common choice among presumed drunk drivers is the breathalyzer. However, this choice often ruins an innocent person’s chances to prove themselves. When considering which alcohol test to take, many different pieces of advice can be taken into account .

1.) Avoid the breathalyzer completely if you are someone who diets often, especially low-carb dies. Even if you merely haven’t had much to eat in a few hours, it is in your best interests to choose a different DUI test. When someone is on a low-carb diet or hasn’t eaten in awhile, there is a creation of glucose in the liver that gets inhibited creating a plummet in blood sugar. This causes ketoacidosis , creating a by-product called acetone. Acetone is very similar to acetaldehyde, both of which are read as alcohol by a breathalyzer. Even a completely healthy person who consumed only a few drinks of alcohol will experience embellished, false symptoms of drunk driving.

2.) Using breath spray or mouthwash is another common, but often fatal mistake driver’s make. A driver’s first instinct when they see those flashing lights behind them is to grab their mouthwash in hopes of covering up the smell of alcohol on their breath. However, what many people don’t realize is that the mouthwash they use has 27% alcohol in it and that alcohol can stay in their oral cavity for 20 minutes and will display an inaccurate and abnormally high reading on a breathalyzer.

3.) A considerable rise in the breathalyzer reading can be caused by smoking cigarettes. The reason for this incorrect reading is that the lungs of smokers retain greater amounts of a compound called acetaldehyde than those of non-smokers. Acetaldehyde is produced in the liver as a result in the metabolism of alcohol and breathalyzer’s cannot decipher alcohol from acetaldehyde.

4.) Even something as simple as burping before taking the breathalyzer can result in an incorrect reading. It is advisable to offer a blood sample rather than a breathalyzer if you have acid reflux or have belched. Belching and acid reflux both can cause the alcoholic gases in your stomach to be thrust into your esophagus, throat, and oral cavity, where again, they will stay for as long as 20 minutes. This causes unusually high and inaccurate blood alcohol counts.

5.) Diabetics who are plagued with low blood sugar every day should definitely avoid the breath test for the same reasons as anyone who is on a low-carb diet or hasn’t eaten in awhile. The low-blood sugar can make a false reading of acetaldehyde, not alcohol. Even worse, diabetics experiencing low-blood sugar almost always experience symptoms of lightheadedness, faintness, lack of coordination, blurred vision, and slurred speech; all of which are symptoms that a police officer might deem as drunk driving.




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