A wine tasting event and the breathalyser

hansov

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I have read the other Breathalyser post, considered putting this into it but it really is a different question.

I was at a rather splendid :cool: tasting of Napa Valley wines last night and I wasn't driving! The question did arise however if you were a strict wine taster at the event and spat out every and I mean every milli litre of wine :eek: :eek: you tasted anybody know how would you fare if you went outside, sat in your car and was breathalysed. I'm sure that the vapours would send the machine into overdrive. And then you would be hauled into the garda station for more tests. Anybody any idea how would you fare out there?
 
AFAIK they (the Gardai) normally leave it 20 minutes after the last drink before breathalyzing, though I've never driven while drunk.....
 
The scenario I have is that I wasn't drinking but my breath must smell like I have taken a barrel of wine!!
 
I always thought that breathalysers detected the amount of alcohol in your blood, not 'breath vapours'. When you exhale, the air has been in your lungs and has been processed (the reverse of how cigarettes work)
Of course, I could be completely wrong.
 
Up to a few years ago the law reflected the view that a breathalyser test was not an accurate measurement of a person's state of sobriety or drunkedness. As a result, it was necessary for the authorites to obtain a positive blood or urine test even where the subject had given a positive breath test. This has obviously changed in the meantime and now failing a breath test is sufficient evidence on its own for one to be prosecuted and convicted. I have no idea as to whether this change was founded on advancements in the science and technology of breathalysers, or simply was a way of getting higher prosecution/conviction rates.
 
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