At some point or another, you’ve probably heard a wild story about a friend of a friend who beat a breathalyzer test after being pulled over on suspicion of drinking and driving. These stories are usually quite imaginative and entertaining but rarely is there any truth to them. Aside from the entertainment value, these types of stories only serve to spread useless falsehoods that will do more harm than good if you are ever faced with a similar situation.
In order to separate myth from truth, it is useful to have a basic understanding of the science behind breathalyzer tests. The State of Texas utilizes a breath test called the Intoxilyzer. This test passes infrared light through your breath that has entered the sample chamber of the device upon blowing into it. Alcohol molecules will disrupt the light from passing through the device, so the more alcohol molecules that are present the less light passes through, which allows the Intoxilyzer to measure your body’s alcohol content.
The Intoxilyzer is notoriously inaccurate due to the fact that the device could be reading residual mouth alcohol or alcohol from gases escaping your stomach as a result of heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux, rather than the alcohol content from your lungs that it is supposed to read. There could also be issues with calibration or the manner in which testing was carried out that could serve has solid defenses against a DUI charge. Thus, if you have been drinking, it may be in your best interest to refuse this oftentimes unfair test rather than try to beat it with a myth. You will likely lose your license for a time, but there will be less hard evidence with which to charge you.
Here are five common myths about beating a breathalyzer test that should be avoided at all costs:
- Sucking on pennies
This is likely the most commonly spread breathalyzer myth. Many people believe that sucking on a handful of pennies can disrupt the test due to the fact that residual copper in one’s mouth will throw off the results. In fact, pennies are made with extremely minimal copper and will have no impact on the test results. - Drinking mouthwash
Mouthwash may serve to help mask the odor of alcohol, but it will in no way lower your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). In fact, mouthwash often contains alcohol itself, which could serve to raise you BAC. - Eating food
The common thinking with this myth is that eating a bunch of food after drinking will absorb the alcohol in your body, helping to lower your BAC. However, breathalyzer tests measure the alcohol content from you lungs, not your stomach, so eating food will not help you pass a breath test. - Caffeine
Drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks after consuming alcohol is another popular “sober up” remedy that is often employed, but it will not help you pass a breathalyzer test. - Holding your breath
There is some scientific weight behind the idea of altered breathing patterns impacting a breathalyzer test, but some of these tactics will actually hurt you more than help you, such as holding your breath before blowing into the breathalyzer device. Holding your breath will actually cause the device to read a higher alcohol content than it otherwise would have.
As you wade through all the fact and fiction regarding breathalyzer tests, the one thing that is always true is that you need to hire a strong defense attorney if you are ever charged with a DUI. Contact The Medlin Law Firm today.
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