Breathalyzer® tests measure blood alcohol content based on the amount of alcohol in a person’s breath. They are used by law enforcement agencies and are also available for consumer use. The first Breathalyzer® test was invented by Dr. Robert Borkenstein in 1954. Consumer versions exist but are of lower quality. Certain chemicals can interfere with the accuracy of the test.
A Breathalyzer® test is a specific brand of device for measuring blood alcohol content (BAC) based on the amount of alcohol in a person’s breath. There are several companies that manufacture devices for estimating blood alcohol content, but the Breathalyzer® brand name has become synonymous with the devices in general. Breathalyzer® tests are typically used by law enforcement agencies to determine the alcohol intake of someone who has been pulled over while driving or, in some cases, arrested for public intoxication or other crimes. The commercial availability of a Breathalyzer® test, however, is also permitted for consumer use. While the Breathalyzer® test has been approved for use by law enforcement agencies in many areas of the world, there are some limitations to how it works.
The theory that the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood can be determined based on the level of alcohol in their breath dates back to at least the 1870s, and its first practical use for police testing was created with the Drunkometer in 1938, although the device was too large for very portable use. Dr. Robert Borkenstein, a professor at Indiana University in Bloomington who was formerly a captain in the Indiana State Police, is generally credited with inventing the very first Breathalyzer® test in 1954. The name Breathalyzer® is a combination of the words breath and analyzer. Smith & Wesson was the first commercial manufacturer of Breathalyzer® tests, although it later sold the brand to National Draeger.
Law enforcement agencies typically have two formats of the Breathalyzer® test: a portable testing device that is used away from the police station and a desktop analyzer for testing within a law enforcement facility. Using a portable test device is often referred to as a field sobriety test. Police officers use a field sobriety test to determine whether the test subject should be arrested on a charge of driving under the influence (DUI) or driving with a disability (DWI). This drink driving test is sometimes called a preliminary breath test (PBT), and further testing, sometimes including a blood test, is usually performed once the subject has been taken to law enforcement facilities.
Consumer versions of the Breathalyzer® test are also produced, although they are generally of lower quality than those possessed by law enforcement agencies. These allow a motorist to assess whether or not they would pass a Breathalyzer® test if stopped by law enforcement. It has been established that certain chemicals and chemical compounds, present in the air or in the breath of the test subject, interfere with the operation of the Breathalyzer® tests. In fact, some products are manufactured that claim to allow an intoxicated subject to pass a Breathalyzer® test, although the reliability of these products has not been determined.
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