Breath Alcohol Self-Test
An estimate of your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is determined with a breath alcohol test. This test measures the amount of alcohol in the air stream that you breathe out (exhale). A simple hand held device is available enabling you to measure breath alcohol level on yourself. The device can provide a correct estimate of your blood alcohol level if calibrated and used in accordance to the manufacturer's instructions. This home machine is similar to, though not as exact as, the type of test used by police for suspected drunk drivers.
Within minutes of drinking alcohol, your blood alcohol concentration starts to rise. Unlike food, alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach, goes into the bloodstream, and travels throughout your body and to your brain. This allows blood alcohol levels to increase quickly.
Food in your stomach may increase the amount of time it takes for the blood alcohol to reach its highest level however typically the amount of alcohol in your blood reaches its highest level about 60 minutes after drinking. Most of the alcohol is broken down in the liver while the rest is passed out of your body through urine and exhaled breath. You can purchase breath alcohol devices to measure your breath alcohol concentration at many pharmacies or through the Internet.
The manual breath alcohol device is a glass tube (or a balloon and a glass tube) which contains crystals that will change color when exposed to alcohol from your breath. This manual device is much simpler and less costly than electronic meters.
The electronic meter displays the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) percentage in a digital display window after the glass mouthpiece attached to the meter is used. This type of meter is more expensive than the manual type.
You might find that many bars and restaurants will provide their customers with free alcohol breath tests using one of these two methods. The devices are also commonly used by alcohol rehabilitation center or hospitals to monitor patients.
The purpose of the breath alcohol self-test is to estimate your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The results are an important factor in deciding whether it is safe to drive. It is important to note that this estimate of blood alcohol is not intended to represent your actual driving abilities. Your driving may be impaired even with a low BAC level, such as below 0.05.
The breath alcohol test offers one piece of information to help you make a safe decision about drinking and driving. The safest decision is always not to drive if you have been drinking.
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is commonly used by police and other legal authorities to determine whether a person is legally impaired and should not drive. A blood alcohol concentration in the range of 0.05 to 0.10 is considered legally impaired throughout most of the United States. However, legal BAC levels vary from state to state.
Driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) can have fatal results. Alcohol is involved in almost half of all deadly highway accidents. All it takes is one drink to possibly impair your ability to drive safely. At 0.06 BAC, your judgment and physical coordination are impaired. At a BAC of 0.08, your muscle coordination and driving ability are significantly impaired.
Having a calculable amount of alcohol in the blood can mean that judgment and reflexes are compromised. You can buy breath alcohol tests through the Internet, either directly from the manufacturer or from a company promoting these types of products. To find this type of device on the internet, simply search using the type of test or with the name of the manufacturer.
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