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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 suspected 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 destroys 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.) If you are someone 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 will be 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.) Another very common, but often fatal mistake driver’s will make involves the use of breath spray or mouthwash. Yes, mouthwash helps to cover up the SMELL of alcohol on your breath. But consequently, what many people don’t understand is that most breath sprays and mouthwashes contain about 27% alcohol and can remain in the oral cavity for as long as 20 minutes, which would make a false reading on even mouth alcohol detector breathalyzers.
3.) A considerable rise in the breathalyzer reading can be caused by smoking cigarettes. The reason for this inaccurate reading is that the lungs of smokers have 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 minute 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 burped. Belching and acid reflux both can cause the alcoholic gases in your stomach to be forced into your esophagus, throat, and oral cavity, where again, they will remain 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, blurry vision, and slurred speech; all of which are symptoms that a police officer might deem as drunk driving.
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