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Why you should consider options besides a breathalyzer in DUI cases
Often a person may be arrested on a police officer’s suspicion of drunk driving. The driver may 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 common choice among presumed drunk drivers. This choice often ruins an person’s chances to prove their innocence. Numerous pieces of advice can be taken into account when choosing which alcohol test you'll take.
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 an hour or two, 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 product called acetone. Acetone is very similar to acetaldehyde, both of which are read as alcohol by a breathalyzer. Even an entirely healthy person who consumed only a few drinks of alcohol will undergo embellished, fake symptoms of drunk driving.
2.) Another extremely common, but often fatal mistake driver’s can make involves the use of breath spray or mouthwash. Yes, mouthwash helps to cover up the SMELL of alcohol on your breath. But, what many people don’t realize is that a lot of breath sprays and mouthwashes contain about 27% alcohol and can stay in the oral cavity for as long as 20 minutes, which would create an incorrect 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 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.) An inaccurate reading result from something as simple as burping before taking the breathalyzer. Even if you have acid reflux it is advisable to offer a blood sample instead. The reason for this is similar to #2 in that belching and acid reflux can force the alcoholic gases in your stomach into your esophagus, throat, and oral cavity, where again, they will stay for as long as 20 minutes. This causes unusually high and inaccurate readings.
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 create a false reading of acetaldehyde, not alcohol. Even worse, diabetics experiencing low-blood sugar almost always experience symptoms of dizziness, 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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