Breathalyzer tests are designed to detect alcohol in your breath, but many people wonder if medications can interfere with these results. The answer is yes—certain medications can potentially affect breathalyzer readings, leading to false positives or elevated results even when you haven’t consumed alcohol. Understanding how medications interact with breathalyzer technology is crucial for anyone who takes prescription or over-the-counter medications and drives.
At The Wiseman Law Firm, we have extensive experience defending clients whose breathalyzer results may have been affected by medications. Our skilled Orlando DUI attorney understands the science behind breathalyzer testing and knows how to challenge potentially inaccurate results. We work with forensic professionals to examine all factors that could influence breathalyzer readings, including medication interactions.
How Medications Can Interfere with Breathalyzer Tests
Breathalyzer devices measure blood alcohol concentration by detecting ethanol molecules in your breath. However, these devices can sometimes detect other substances that share similar chemical properties with alcohol. Certain medications contain alcohol or compounds that can register as alcohol on a breathalyzer test, leading to false readings.
Liquid medications often contain ethanol as a preservative or carrier agent. Cough syrups, tinctures, and some prescription medications can contain significant amounts of alcohol. When consumed shortly before a breathalyzer test, these medications may produce elevated readings even if you haven’t consumed alcoholic beverages.
Common Medications That May Affect Results
Several categories of medications can potentially interfere with breathalyzer accuracy:
- Cold and flu medications: Prescription cough syrups often contain up to 25% alcohol by volume, while over-the-counter medications may also contain detectable amounts of ethanol.
- Mouthwashes and breath sprays: These products frequently contain alcohol that can be detected by breathalyzer devices for several minutes after use.
- Pain medications and anti-anxiety drugs: While these don’t typically cause false positives, they can amplify alcohol’s effects and influence how your body processes alcohol.
- Diabetes medications: Can affect blood sugar levels and breath composition, potentially causing acetone in the breath that some devices may misinterpret as alcohol.
- Heart medications: May alter how alcohol is absorbed and metabolized, affecting the timing and accuracy of breathalyzer readings.
These medications can result in higher breathalyzer readings than expected or prolonged detection times. Additionally, certain medical conditions that require medication can affect breath composition and potentially influence test results.
Medication Interactions and Legal Considerations
Prescription medications for mental health conditions, including antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications, can interact with alcohol in complex ways. These medications may increase alcohol’s effects on the body, making you feel more impaired than your actual blood alcohol level would suggest. While this doesn’t typically cause false breathalyzer readings, it can lead to impaired driving charges.
Heart medications, particularly those affecting blood pressure and circulation, can influence how alcohol is absorbed and metabolized by your body. Beta-blockers and other cardiovascular medications may alter the rate at which alcohol enters your bloodstream, potentially affecting the accuracy of breathalyzer readings taken at different times.
Certain medical conditions require medications that can significantly impact breathalyzer results. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) medications may not directly affect breathalyzer readings, but the condition itself can cause stomach acid to enter the mouth, potentially affecting breath test accuracy. Liver conditions and their associated medications present unique challenges, as they can affect how alcohol is metabolized.
Legal Implications and Defense Strategies
Florida law recognizes that various factors can influence breathalyzer results, including medication interactions. However, proving that medications affected your test results requires thorough documentation and professional testimony. Courts may consider medication-related defenses, but the burden of proof lies with the defendant to demonstrate how specific medications influenced the results.
Expert testimony is often crucial in cases involving medication-affected breathalyzer results. Forensic toxicologists and medical professionals can explain how specific medications might have influenced test results. This testimony can be vital in challenging the accuracy and reliability of breathalyzer evidence in court.
Successful defense strategies require comprehensive documentation, including prescription records, medication labels, pharmacy records, and medical history. Your attorney will need to establish exactly what medications you were taking, their alcohol content, and how they might have affected the test results. The timing of medication consumption relative to the breathalyzer test is critical, as medications taken shortly before testing are more likely to affect results.
Get Help Challenging Breathalyzer Results
If you believe medications affected your breathalyzer results, it’s essential to seek experienced legal representation immediately. These cases require detailed knowledge of both the science behind breathalyzer testing and the complex interactions between medications and alcohol. We have successfully challenged breathalyzer results in numerous cases and understand how to effectively present medication-related defenses.
Attorney Simon Wiseman brings more than 23 years of trial experience to every case, including extensive experience with DUI defense and breathalyzer challenges. His background as a former prosecutor provides valuable insight into how the State of Florida approaches these cases and how to build effective defense strategies. We work with forensic professionals and medical experts to thoroughly examine all factors that could have influenced your breathalyzer results. Contact The Wiseman Law Firm today at (407) 420-4647 or through our contact form to discuss your case and learn how we can help protect your rights and future.