4 Reasons Not to Trust the Results of A Dui Breath Test

If you are facing charges for driving under the influence of alcohol, you are undoubtedly nervous about your immediate future. After all, in addition to having potential criminal consequences, a DUI arrest and conviction are likely to interfere with both your driving privileges and your career prospects.

During a DUI traffic stop, an officer may ask you to breathe into a testing device to determine if your blood alcohol concentration is above Illinois’s 0.08% legal limit. While breath tests sometimes produce reliable results, they are often incorrect. Here are four reasons not to trust the results of a DUI breath test.

1. You Have Certain Medical Conditions

The acid in your stomach may trick a breath test. Consequently, if you have acid reflux, GERD or other gastrointestinal medical conditions, the test’s results may be bad. The same may be true if you have diabetes.

2. You Take Certain Medications

Some medications contain alcohol that may show up during a DUI breath test. Cough syrups and cold medications, for example, often list alcohol as an ingredient. Additionally, some asthma inhalers use alcohol to suspend medication.

3. You Eat Certain Foods

Breads, ripe fruits, protein bars, nuts and meal replacement shakes may interfere with the functionality of a breath test. Likewise, consuming a ketosis diet may produce false-positive test results.

4. You Use Certain Products

Many personal hygiene products have alcohol in them. If you use mouthwash, cologne, deodorant, body spray or lotion shorty before taking a DUI breath test, the test’s results may not be reliable.

Consequently, if you believe your personal care products or anything else may have obstructed a breath test, questioning the reliability of the test’s results may be a vital part of your DUI defense.