Mouthwash danger to motorists!

gurramok

Saw this mouthwash breathalyser 'test' in Indo http://www.independent.ie/national-news/mouthwash-could-put-motorists-over-drinkdrive-limit-1206641.html

Now, we know that alcohol in mouthwash can have an affect but is this just sensationalism or does the author have a valid point?

Apparently Listerine is the worst offender. Should there be an information campaign to motorists to not use mouthwash for lets say less than 10min before going out in the car to avoid undue attention at garda checkpoints down the road?

Sunday Indo wrote:

Independent tests carried out by the Sunday Independent on a state of the art CA2000 Digital Breathalyser found that certain alcohol mouthwash formulas can fool garda breathalyser machines into thinking drivers have consumed several pints of alcohol by dramatically raising test results.

The tests showed that an individual who recorded a reading of .00 per cent subsequently recorded a reading four times over the legal alcohol limit after gargling 20 millilitres of Listerine mouthwash for 30 seconds in accordance with directions on the label.

Listerine antiseptic mouthwash, which is the only mouthwash approved by the Irish Dental Association, is believed to contain over 20 per cent alcohol -- a significantly high figure when compared to the average alcohol content of beer (4.5 per cent) and wine (12 to 14 per cent).

When the same test was carried out with the Colgate Plax Multi-Protection brand of mouthwash, the individual scored 1.65 per cent on the breathalyser test -- almost five times the current legal alcohol limit in Ireland.

Other products such as the energy booster Guarana Tonic, which contains 14 per cent alcohol, also recorded readings of up to .80 per cent.

Although the high readings dramatically fell within minutes of using the products, the results proved that sober drivers who gargle alcohol-containing products are at risk of failing random garda breath tests because breath analysers do not directly measure blood alcohol content or concentration.

mike65

I think most cops can tell mouth wash when they smell it!

Mike.

deman

Any alcohol in the mouth dissolves in 20 minutes.

gurramok

deman wrote: »

Any alcohol in the mouth dissolves in 20 minutes.

I heard the 20min thing about real alcohol alright.

Thing is, alot joe public wouldn't know that hence the question should there be a information campaign to avoid people getting prosecuted for driving while under the influence of mouthwash?:)

Cionád

Even if you turn up positive as a result of the breathalyser, you'll pass the urine/blood test.

pburns

Cionád wrote: »

Even if you turn up positive as a result of the breathalyser, you'll pass the urine/blood test.

Yeah, bit of scaremongering by over-zealous junior-journalist I suspect...

Would it be practical to have a breathaliser attached to the ignition of all cars so it won't start if you fail the test.? There's such a grey area now when it comes to morning-after driving - it's a bit worrying. I have never driven after drink (and gone to extraordinary lenghts not to) but I'm sure that technically I've been borderline the following morning on many occasions.

The PC brigade will scream for a zero-limit policy with draconian penalties but these people are mainly urbanites who can have ready access to taxis and public transport.

lubie76

A positive test result in breathalysing has to be followed by one 30 mins later at which time the mouthwash alcohol will have evaporated.

deman

pburns wrote: »

Would it be practical to have a breathaliser attached to the ignition of all cars so it won't start if you fail the test.?

Didn't I see this somewhere? Wasn't it on Top Gear or something?

Cionád

deman wrote: »

Didn't I see this somewhere? Wasn't it on Top Gear or something?

40 year old virgin?
- and in the movie she just got someone else to blow into it!!

Having to fit all cars with such a device is wasteful, and unnecessary imo.

Jo King

It happens that people fail the roadside breath test because of mouth alcohol. However the roadside test only provides the guards with the grounds for an arrest. After arrest a breath, blood or urine test must take place in order to determine the level of alcohol in the blood. The breath test in the station can only take place after the subject has not taken anything by mouth for at least 20 minutes. This is to eliminate the possibility of mouth alcohol distorting the sample.It happens quite often that people fail the roadside test and then pass the test in the station. I have noticed that many guards have taken to administering the breath test to people who appear to have drink taken rather that everybody they stop. A fruitless trip to the station wastes everybody's time and probably allows a guilty person escape.

deman

I was breathe tested by the RUC in Strabane many years ago and they advised me to wait 20 minutes as mouth alcohol can falsely fail tests. As I had finished a pint of Guinness about 15 minutes before that, I took their advice and waited in their car for the 20 minutes. They tested me and the digital readout read 0.18. I thanked them for their advice as they let me go on my way.

Esel

I'll be drinking Colgate instead of Listerine then! :eek:

colm_mcm

Cheap night in!

Robbo

pburns wrote: »

Yeah, bit of scaremongering by over-zealous junior-journalist I suspect...

I had a look at the news comic that is the Sindo yesterday, and I can confirm it was writting by one of the pouting ex-03 team newsbunnies.

Still, in the context of the newspaper as a whole, it was practically Woodward and Bernstein.

Victor

esel wrote: »

I'll be drinking Colgate instead of Listerine then! :eek:

Mouthwashes have a chemical in them that makes you vomit if you drink it (well more than a few drops).