Eating and Drinking: Unexpected Triggers for “Drunk Driving” Alarms
Not consuming alcohol but still getting flagged for drunk driving? This has happened to many. For instance, someone took a breath alcohol test right after eating an egg yolk pie, and the result showed an alcohol content of 23 milligrams per 100 milliliters, meeting the drunk – driving standard. Others tested positive after drinking Red Bull, a functional beverage. Another person exhaled right after eating 10 lychees, with an alcohol content soaring to 89 milligrams per 100 milliliters, reaching the drunk – driving threshold. But 10 minutes later, a retest showed zero alcohol content.
The Culprits Behind False Positives
According to Xiao Zhenhua, deputy captain of the Hedong Police Station of the Linyi Public Security Bureau Traffic Police Detachment in Shandong Province, certain foods, beverages, and medicines can cause false – positive drunk – driving test results. Due to their production processes or fermentation, these items can lead to the detection of alcohol, potentially resulting in misjudgments. Processed foods with alcohol additives, fermented foods, and high – sugar fruits are common “risky” items.
Snacks like egg yolk pies and cheese rolls often have edible alcohol added as a preservative during production. Fermented foods such as fermented bean curd, pickles, yeast bread, and rice wine balls produce trace amounts of ethanol during the fermentation process. High – sugar fruits like lychees, durians, bayberries, and grapes can also generate ethanol when they ferment under anaerobic conditions. After consuming these, the ethanol level in the mouth rises quickly, which can easily lead to false accusations of drunk driving.
Moreover, medicines using ethanol as a solvent, such as Huoxiang Zhengqi Water and cough syrup, as well as daily items like alcohol – containing mouthwashes and breath fresheners, and foods named with “alcohol” like drunken shrimp, drunken crab, and alcohol – filled chocolate, can all cause misjudgments if a breath alcohol test is taken after consumption or use. In particular, after drinking Huoxiang Zhengqi Water, the test result can reach as high as 600 milligrams per 100 milliliters, far exceeding the drunk – driving standard.
What to Do When Facing a False Positive
Xiao Zhenhua advised that if a driver is wrongly detected for drunk driving due to such situations, they should actively explain the circumstances to the traffic police, detailing their recent diet. It would be ideal if they can provide the packaging of the relevant food, medicine, or daily necessities as evidence. Then, they can rinse their mouth and wait for the mouth alcohol to evaporate before retesting. If the breath test result is still in question, a blood test can be conducted to confirm the actual alcohol content (the blood test result is decisive).
Traffic Police Warning: Know the Standards and Risks
Linyi traffic police remind drivers that a blood alcohol content of 20 milligrams or more per 100 milliliters is considered driving under the influence, and 80 milligrams or more per 100 milliliters constitutes drunk driving. Drunk driving can lead to license suspension, fines, and even criminal liability. Drivers should never take risks.
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