Alcohol Blood Tests vs Breathalyzers

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When considering the procurement of various testing methodologies for testing a person's blood alcohol level (BAC), a number of Human Resource directors in various companies and organizations want information about alcohol blood tests vs breathalyzers.

Blood tests directly measure BAC and are the most accurate method for testing a person's blood alcohol content. Breathalyzers, on the other hand, estimate blood alcohol concentration or content indirectly by measuring the amount of alcohol in one's breath.

The Use of Breathalyzers to Estimate a Person's BAC

A breathalyzer is a device that is used for estimating a person's blood alcohol content (BAC) from a breath sample.

In the United States, the Alcosensor, Datamaster, Alcotest Intoxilyzer, and the Intoximeter are most common breathalyzer brand names currently in use.

image: couple in an argument about husband failing a breathalyzer test Breathalyzers can detect and measure current alcohol levels. The person blows into a breathalyzer and the results are given as a number, known as the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) which shows the level of alcohol in the blood at the time the test was taken.

Since 2002, it has been illegal in all 50 U.S. states to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) that is .08% or higher.

Breathalyzers do not directly measure blood alcohol concentration or content. Measuring blood alcohol content (BAC) requires the analysis of a blood sample.

Breathalyzers, rather, estimate blood alcohol concentration or content indirectly by measuring the amount of alcohol in one's breath.

Some Disconcerting Issues With Breathalyzers

A major issue with some breathalyzers is that they not only detect the ethyl alcohol found in alcohol beverages, but also in other substances that have a similar molecular structure.

Stated differently, the "problem" breathalyzers identify any compound containing the methyl group molecular structure.

image: young couple in argument over husband's failed breathalyzer test And the issue with this is that more than one hundred compounds can be found in a human's breath at any one time and 70% to 80% of these compounds contain the methyl group molecular structure. The consequence of this is that these methyl group molecular structures will be incorrectly identified and labeled as ethyl alcohol. Interestingly, the more ethyl group substances the breathalyzer detects, the higher the false blood alcohol content estimate will be.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that people who are diabetics or dieters can have acetone levels that are hundreds, if not a thousand of times higher than people who are not diabetics or dieters. The key issue here is that acetone is one of the many substances that can be falsely detected as ethyl alcohol by some breathalyzers.

There's also numerous products found in the environment that can lead to erroneous BAC results with breathalyzers. Some these products include substances or compounds found in gasoline, paint removers, cleaning fluids, celluloid, and lacquers. Other common substances that can result in false BAC levels are blood, vomit, or alcohol in the person's mouth. False BAC readings can also be caused from cell phones, police radios, electrical interference, moisture, dirt, and tobacco smoke.

Children who are drinking alcohol by 7th grade are more likely to report academic problems, substance use, and delinquent behavior in both middle school and high school.

Breathalyzers and False Readings

Breathalyzers can be quite sensitive to temperature and will result in false readings if they are not recalibrated or adjusted to compensate for ambient or surrounding air temperatures. In addition, the temperature of the person being tested is also significant. That is, each degree (in Fahrenheit) in the subject's body temperature above 98.6 can result in a relatively large elevation (about 8%) in apparent BAC.

A person's breathing rate can also significantly affect breathalyzer results. For instance, one study discovered that the BAC readings of people who ran up a flight of stairs decreased 11% to 14%. And when these people ran up the stairs a second time, their BAC readings decreased 22% to 25%. Another study found similar results (a decrease in BAC of 15%) in people who exercised vigorously or who hyperventilated. Moreover, hyperventilation for just 20 seconds has been shown to lower the breathalyzer BAC readings by about 10%. Conversely, people who hold their breath for 30 seconds can increase the breathalyzer BAC results by approximately 15%.

A clear relationship exists between alcohol use and grade point average (GPA) among college students. Students with GPAs of D or F drink three times as much as those who earn As.

The failure of law enforcement officers to use the breathalyzers properly and to properly maintain and re-calibrate the units when necessary also lead to testing errors.

Research indicates that breath tests can vary at least 15% from actual blood alcohol concentration. An estimated 23% of individuals tested will have a BAC reading higher than their true BAC.

Among drivers aged 15-20, fatal crashes involving a single vehicle at night are three times more likely than other fatal crashes to be alcohol-related.

Can Breathalyzers be Fooled by Odors?

A common myth is that breathalyzers can be "fooled" by odors that mask the smell of alcohol. Mints, onions, and mouthwash may indeed disguise the smell of alcohol, but they do ;not fool the breathalyzer because they do not change the actual alcohol content on a person's breath.

Research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholics.

What can "fool" breathalyzers, however, are products such as breath spray or mouthwash that can raise the BAC readings due to the alcohol content in these products. Listerine, for instance contains 27% alcohol, and can significantly raise the BAC test results. Why?

Due to the increased alcohol (from the Listerine) detected on the person's breath, the breathalyzer produces a false high reading. That is, instead of the reading being based on alcohol in the blood that has been diffused into the lungs, the breathalyzer will result in a false reading due to the combined alcohol in the person's mouth (from the Listerine) and from the person's lungs.

About half of state prison inmates and 40% of federal prisoners incarcerated for committing violent crimes report they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of their offense.

Blood Tests

Blood tests are the most accurate method for testing a person's blood alcohol content (BAC). Blood tests, moreover, are the most expensive and the most intrusive methods for testing BAC. Due mainly to their high cost and to their intrusiveness, however, blood tests comprise the least common method for testing a person's BAC.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the 21-year-old minimum drinking age laws have saved 21,887 lives since the mid-1970s.

Alcohol Blood Tests vs Breathalyzers: Conclusion

According to current demographic studies, alcohol abuse accounts for roughly 67% of total number of substance abuse complaints in U.S. workplaces. Not only this, but the use or abuse of alcohol is associated with almost half of all industrial accidents. As a result, there is a growing demand for more effective alcohol detection and testing methods. Indeed, more and more companies are employing alcoholism screening tests and random alcohol testing as part of their workplace drug and alcohol testing programs.

In short, an increasing number of HR directors in various companies and organizations are seeking more detailed information about alcohol blood tests vs breathalyzers so that they can procure and implement a cost-effective and accurate method of employee alcohol testing.

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Alcohol-related consequences run the gamut. Yet many health care providers see only the most severe cases—such as patients suffering from advanced alcohol-related liver disease or those with a history of alcohol dependence. Seeing only the severe end of the spectrum of alcohol-related consequences provides a shortsighted view, however, and not a true picture of how alcohol abuse and dependence influence the population as a whole.

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