A breath alcohol test detects the amount of alcohol in your blood by quantifying the air you exhale. This number is known as your blood alcohol content (BAC) which typically rises as soon as 15 minutes after drinking and stays highest an hour after you consume your drink. When you consume alcohol, it travels through to your stomach and small intestine. It then gets absorbed in your blood, carrying it through your body, brain, and lungs.
Why is Breath Alcohol Test used?
High BAC can make people clumsy and absent-minded. Moreover, it can cause people to lose control of their actions and make wrong decisions, making driving a vehicle dangerous. Hence, if your local police observe you speeding, encountering an accident, or weaving on the road, they may suspect you of driving under the influence of alcohol. In such a situation, they use a device known as a Breathalyzer to ascertain your BAC levels on the spot.
What are the different kinds of tests?
Breath alcohol tests can be either manual or electronic. Typically, you may find your local police using a walkie-talkie size electronic device in which individuals blow into the mouthpiece to get close reading. One of the most common manual tests involves a balloon and a glass tube filled with yellow crystals. Thus, once you blow into the balloon, the air releases into the tube, changing the color of the crystals. However, the color can go from yellow to green, depending on the amount of alcohol in your system.
What are the things that can potentially affect your BAC?
Following are some of the critical factors significantly influencing your BAC levels:
1. Weight of an individual
Your weight plays a significant role because the heavier you are, the more water your body will contain. Hence, this makes it easier for the alcohol to get diluted and less likely for you to get caught.
2. Gender of an individual
Alcohol lays down a slightly different impact on men and women. This is because men are known to have higher levels of stomach enzymes that enable them to break down the alcohol quicker. On the contrary, women typically have less water and more fat and hormonal changes that affect BAC levels.
3. Amount of drink you consumed
The amount of solid alcohol you consume at what pace also plays a critical role in raising your BAC levels.
4. Amount of food you ate
A high-protein diet or a full belly are some other factors that influence or slacken the processing of alcohol in your body, making it easier to get detected for alcohol consumption.
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