For example, Listerine mouthwash contains 27% alcohol. So, if you use any number of breath freshening products, including mouthwash, and then blow into a breathalyzer shortly thereafter, the breathalyzer is likely to vastly overstate whatever alcohol, if any, is actually in your blood stream.
Some mouthwashes will produce false readings on a breathalyzer machine. And these readings are not just a little false, they are way off. For example. If a sober person gargles and spits with the original formula Listerine immediately before taking a breath test your test their breath test results would be as high as .
Have you ever gargled some mouthwash just before jumping into your car on the way to work in the morning? You might not want to do that. Alcohol-based mouthwash products, like Listerine, can cause you to fail a Breathalyzer test for as long as 10 minutes after use.
Unlike beer, wine, or liquor, the concentrated form of alcohol in mouthwash doesn't linger. Unless you actually drink it. So if you just swish with mouthwash, and wait 20 minutes before blowing into your interlock, you should pass the test. That is, as long as you haven't been drinking in the last 12-24 hours.
Breath fresheners such as gum, mints, or sprays may cover up the odor, but they cannot change the amount of alcohol present in your breath. Some mouthwash even contains alcohol, and therefore can inflate BAC readings. Fiction: You can beat a breathalyzer test by sucking on a penny.
The results indicated that holding your breath for 30 seconds before exhaling increased the blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) by 15.7%. Hyperventilating for 20 seconds immediately before the analyses of breath, on the other hand, decreased the blood-alcohol level by 10.6%.
Eating peanut butter: Peanut butter has a rather potent, deep scent and is known to help conceal alcohol breath. Drinking coffee: On top of counteracting some of the cognitive effects of drinking such as fatigue, drinking (strong) coffee can help with bad bacteria and mask the smell of alcohol on the breath.
If a subject consumes mouthwash containing alcohol immediately prior to a breath alcohol test, the remnants of the alcohol from the mouthwash will contaminate the test result. Breath or saliva testing devices will pick up and register the alcohol molecules that remain in the mouth shortly after mouthwash use.
Police protocol says they should keep suspects under observation for 20 minutes before using a breathalyzer. The point is to make sure that the suspect does not eat or drink something that may impact results. This time, after using the mouthwash, the breathalyzer reports a 0.06 BAC.
Another IID manufacturer, SmartStart, explains that a breath test taken immediately after using these products could return a breath alcohol reading as high as 0.25 percent. For this reason, waiting at least 15 minutes after brushing teeth or rinsing with mouthwash is recommended.
While a mint, gum, or mouthwash may reduce the odour of alcohol in your breath, it does not affect or reduce the amount of alcohol in the blood. Mouthwash contains alcohol, and testing with a breathalyzer after using mouthwash may even increase your BAC readings.
Mouthwash and Breath Spray
Most people know that some mouthwash and breath sprays contain alcohol. It isn't surprising that if someone recently used an alcohol-heavy mouthwash, the breath test may detect remnants of alcohol.
Our research shows that manipulations can alter BrAC readings. Specifically, hyperventilation and drinking water before using the breathalyzer were shown to significantly lower the BrAC readings. Breath analyzer operators should be cognizant of these methods that may lead to falsely lower BrAC readings.
If you've used a product that contains alcohol, the Breathalyzer might detect the alcohol concentration and report a false positive. Products that contain alcohol include toothpaste, aftershave, hand sanitizer, bleach, mouthwash, perfume and cologne. Even spraying bug repellent on yourself can produce a false positive.
Swish for a full 30 seconds (try counting to 30 in your head or using a stopwatch). Don't worry if you can't get to 30 seconds the first time – it gets easier each time you try. During rinsing, gargle in your mouth. Spit the solution out in the sink.
Listerine is Australia's biggest selling mouthwash and contains as much as 26% alcohol, and indeed most popular mouth washes do contain alcohol.
Ethanol, which is toxic to bacteria at concentrations of 40%, is present in concentrations of 21.6% in the flavored product and 26.9% in the original gold Listerine Antiseptic.
For example, original formula Listerine is about 54 proof with 26.9% alcohol, and many of the mint flavored mouthwashes are almost 22% alcohol.
Mouthwash that contains alcohol is popular in general dentistry because it kills most of the bacteria in your mouth and leaves your mouth feeling refreshed.
Try Chewing Gum
This can act as a mouth freshener and chewing also increases salivation which helps to eliminate the smell of alcohol from your breath. Mint gums are very effective and popular. Sour flavored gums are also good as chewing them increases salivation more than sweet gums.
And the flavoring can be deceptive as to the strength or amount consumed. Beer and wine, for example, are the least intoxicating drinks but will cause the strongest odor. A much stronger drink, such as scotch, will have a weaker odor. And vodka leaves virtually no odor at all.
In general, alcohol can be detected for up to: 6 hours in the blood. 12 to 24 hours on the breath. 12 to 24 hours in urine (longer depending on the type of test conducted)
Blood Alcohol Content, or BAC, refers to the percentage of alcohol in a person's bloodstream, and can be measured within 30-70 minutes after drinking. Contrary to popular belief, nothing can lower BAC except time; coffee, cold showers, and chugging glasses of water will not help you sober up any faster.
Just because your liver has metabolized one drink in one hour, it doesn't mean the alcohol is gone from your system. After your last drink, alcohol stays in your system: In Your Blood: Up to 6 hours. On Your Breath: 12-24 Hours.