Whether you’re a law enforcement officer or a roadside breath testing expert, you need to understand mouth alcohol. This small amount of alcohol can be a significant contributor to a breath test’s falsely elevated BAC reading. Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to minimize this effect.
First of all, there are a few ways to catch mouth alcohol before it messes up a breath test. One of the best ways to do this is to wait about fifteen minutes after your last drink. This gives your system a chance to absorb the alcohol from the drink. However, you should still be aware that if you continue to drink after the 15 minute mark, it could cause a negative breath test.
Another way to avoid mouth alcohol is to stop drinking altogether. This might sound like a small sacrifice, but if you’re regularly drinking, it’s worth it. You’ll find yourself in a better position to challenge a breath test result in court.
Some of the most common mouth alcohol culprits include acid reflux, burping, and heartburn. While these issues can be difficult to diagnose, they do have the potential to affect a breath test.
Lastly, dental work and orthodontics can also be major mouth alcohol contributors. These dental products can trap particles of liquid, food, and even molecules of alcohol.
If you’ve ever had a mouth alcohol test performed on you, you’ve probably noticed a huge difference between your last drink and the one before. This is largely because of the aforementioned effects of the parabola. While the breath test has no actual way of measuring blood alcohol content, it does analyze the volume of alcohol particles present in the air. The result is an inflated BAC, and you could end up in jail for a DUI.
There are many medical conditions and medications that can contribute to mouth alcohol, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and acid reflux. It’s important to remember that these conditions aren’t always associated with drinking. They can be a side effect of taking certain medicines, such as asthma and cough medicines.
The most obvious way to avoid mouth alcohol is to avoid using products that contain alcohol, such as alcohol-containing mouthwashes, breath sprays, and even cough syrups. Some products, such as ibuprofen, contain small amounts of alcohol, which can mask the alcohol smell on your breath.
Other mouth alcohol culprits include using a temporary fake tooth and chewing gum. While these products may not be as bad as they used to be, they can be detrimental to a breath test. If you have any of these items, you should take it out of your mouth and spit it out before your test.
If you’re accused of a DUI, a good defense lawyer can use mouth alcohol to your advantage. The trick is to make sure your attorney is familiar with the many ways mouth alcohol can fool a breath test. Then, you can start preparing to win your case.
