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Why you should consider options besides a breathalyzer in DUI cases
Often times people are arrested on a police officer’s suspicion of drunk driving. The driver might have had a drink or two but might still lack that feeling of being completely under the influence of alcohol. The next step is for a breathalyzer, blood test, or even a urine test to be taken by the suspected DUI offender. The breathalyzer is the most frequent choice among presumed drunk drivers. This choice often ruins an person’s chances to prove their innocence. Many pieces of advice can be taken into account when choosing which alcohol test to take.
1.) If you are a person who diets a lot, especially a low-carb diet, it's best to avoid the breathalyzer completely. It is recommended to choose another DUI test even if you simply haven’t had much to eat in a few hours. The reason for this is because when someone is on a low-carb diet or hasn’t eaten in awhile, the creation of glucose in the liver is inhibited and their blood sugar levels will drop rapidly. This drop in blood sugar causes ketoacidosis which creates a product called acetone. Acetone is like acetaldehyde, which is read by a breathalyzer as alcohol. Even if you are a completely healthy person who consumed only a few drinks of alcohol, you will experience embellished, fake symptoms of drunk driving.
2.) Using breath spray or mouthwash is another common, but often fatal mistake driver’s make. Many drivers first instinct when they see those flashing lights behind them is to grab their mouthwash in hopes to cover 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.) Smoking cigarettes can cause a fairly large rise in the breathalyzer reading. The lungs of smokers contain greater amounts of a compound called acetaldehyde than the lungs of non-smokers. Acetaldehyde is made in the liver as a result in the metabolism of alcohol and breathalyzer’s cannot decipher alcohol from acetaldehyde.
4.) Even something as minute as burping before taking the breathalyzer can result in an inaccurate reading. It is advisable to offer a blood sample rather than a breathalyzer if you have acid reflux or have burped. Belching and acid reflux can cause the alcoholic gases in your stomach to be forced 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 creates a false reading of acetaldehyde, not alcohol. Even worse, diabetics experiencing low-blood sugar almost always experience symptoms of dizziness, 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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