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Breath alcohol test

Breath Alcohol Test
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Why is a breath alcohol test done?

The breath alcohol self-test is used to estimate your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). This estimate of blood alcohol is not intended to represent your actual driving abilities. Your driving may be impaired even with a low BAC level, such as below 0.05.

The breath alcohol test offers one piece of information to help you make a safe decision about drinking and driving. The safest decision is always not to drive if you have been drinking.

BAC is commonly used by police and other legal authorities to determine whether a person is legally impaired and should not drive. A BAC of 0.08 or greater is considered legally impaired for people 21 and older in most of the United States. But the legal BAC limit for people under age 21 may be lower, such as 0.02.

How to do a balloon or tube breath alcohol test

Wait at least 15 minutes after having an alcoholic drink before testing your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Trace amounts of alcohol left in your mouth from a recent drink can give false results. So can using mouthwash or mouth spray, such as mouth sprays to relieve a sore throat.

Do not smoke for 1 to 5 minutes before testing your BAC. Do not blow smoke into the device.

Your test kit may have a balloon and a tube or a tube only. The tube contains bands of yellow crystals. The amount of alcohol in your breath is based on the number of bands that change to green and on the intensity of the color change.

  1. Check the test expiration date.

    Don't use the test if the expiration date has passed.

  2. Follow the instructions exactly.

    Note any special instructions you need to follow before you take the test.

  3. Blow into the balloon or the tube.
    • Use one long breath, not several short breaths.
    • With a balloon and tube: Blow until the balloon is full. Then attach the balloon to one end of the tube. Let the air flow slowly out of the balloon and through the tube for exactly 1 minute.
    • With only a tube: Blow through the tube for the amount of time in the instructions.
  4. Take the reading.

Take at least two separate readings 15 minutes apart.

Store the testing device correctly. If the device should be stored in the refrigerator or kept in a cool place, make sure you place it in the right kind of storage area.

What do the results of a breath alcohol test mean?

Results are ready right away.

How much alcohol makes you legally drunk (too drunk to drive) varies among states.

  • Most states consider a person 21 or older legally drunk when the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08 or greater.
  • All states consider people under 21 legally drunk at a lower BAC, such as 0.02 or even lower.

See the test instructions for how to read your results.

Examples of BAC and its effects include:

  • 0.05: Slowed reaction time.
  • 0.10: Slurred speech.
  • 0.20: Hard to walk, nausea, vomiting.
  • 0.40: Possible coma and death.

See the test instructions for how to read your results and what they mean.

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The content above contains general health information provided by Healthwise, Incorporated, and reviewed by its medical experts. This content should not replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Not all treatments or services described are offered as services by us. For recommended treatments, please consult your healthcare provider.