Drink driving ban

[SavageHoutkop]

I read the ingredients on my Plax and decided that wasn't for me. This was before the 'alcohol gives you mouth cancer' story, but I've read that report and that's another one of the 'lies, damn lies and statistics' reports in its current form....

I do put a sprig of mint in it for that 'minty freshness'

 

[Cubist]

What??

Twenty minutes.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

for everyone, or 'on average'?

 

[PaulB]

I've been breathalysed but only unofficially. One new years eve, we were having a party at my mates house and one of the guests was married to a copper who was on duty yhat night. While it was still quiet out, he came round to wish us all the best and that and the host asked him if he had his breathalyser. Of course he did and he let us have a go! I'd drunk four pints over the course of the evening and the host reckoned he'd had about six. To our astonishment, we both registered we'd had a drink but were safe to drive! The copper (Horace he was called) reckoned it's 'cos we were fit lads who ran and could inflate our lungs to a greater capacity than most people but I don't know if that's true. My wife who's tiny registered over the limit after having only one vodka and tonic. After that, as my job depends on my licence, I am always ultra cautious as you never know.

 

[ufkacbln]

Does she use alcohol sprays?

We use them for putting stuff into pharamaceutical isolators and IIRC there is a possibility of inhaing the aerosol and whether this can affect breathalyser results.

You would need to have a chat wiith the local Pharmacy Manafacturing section for further details.

 

[Cubist]

Hmmm I've never been breathalysed, and don't own a car at the moment anyway, but I have always been curious to see how many drinks I could drink before officially being over the limit. I'm a fairly petite lady, so I suspect I'd be over with even one 'drink'.

I didn't know about the Salbutamol interference either. I'm asthmatic and while normally controlled (thanks to avoiding household chemicals, and pets...) I do occasionally use them (usually when visiting friends with either household chemicals or pets!).

Finally, as a complete aside, I really and honestly do use Vodka as a mouthwash. No, I don't swallow. How long would that take to clear out of my mouth???

During the evidential breath testing procedure at the station, a subject is asked a series of questions, all of them designed to test the possibility of anything which may have been drunk, ingested, eaten or regurgitated . Any answers to those questions which may indicate the possibility of any compound interfering with the integrity of the sample leads to measures to ensure that they cannot. The questions are asked dilligently, usually under a video camera so that such defences cannot be raised later in court .

Mouth alcohol takes twenty minutes to clear, hence why the roadside test cannot be carried out until 20 minutes after the last drink.

 

[Blackandblue]

Mouth alcohol takes twenty minutes to clear, hence why the roadside test cannot be carried out until 20 minutes after the last drink.

I once heard a story of a man who walked into the nearest pub immediately after an accident and ordered, in front of a handful of witnesses, a scotch to steady his nerves. Either a load of rubbish or perhaps the 20 minute rule came in after I heard that story (it was a while ago).

 

[PaulB]

I once heard a story of a man who walked into the nearest pub immediately after an accident and ordered, in front of a handful of witnesses, a scotch to steady his nerves. Either a load of rubbish or perhaps the 20 minute rule came in after I heard that story (it was a while ago).

I know a guy who said he'd done that when he knew he was over the limit and said he therefore couldn't get done but he was called out on it and made to look a fool. Apparently the rate of alcohol depletion has a known algorythm and so it's possible to discover how much was in the system prior to whatever's been drunk subsequently.

 

[marinyork]

During the evidential breath testing procedure at the station, a subject is asked a series of questions, all of them designed to test the possibility of anything which may have been drunk, ingested, eaten or regurgitated . Any answers to those questions which may indicate the possibility of any compound interfering with the integrity of the sample leads to measures to ensure that they cannot. The questions are asked dilligently, usually under a video camera so that such defences cannot be raised later in court .

Mouth alcohol takes twenty minutes to clear, hence why the roadside test cannot be carried out until 20 minutes after the last drink.

I hope you can see the flaw in this not being complete .

 

[Cubist]

I've been breathalysed but only unofficially. One new years eve, we were having a party at my mates house and one of the guests was married to a copper who was on duty yhat night. While it was still quiet out, he came round to wish us all the best and that and the host asked him if he had his breathalyser. Of course he did and he let us have a go! I'd drunk four pints over the course of the evening and the host reckoned he'd had about six. To our astonishment, we both registered we'd had a drink but were safe to drive! The copper (Horace he was called) reckoned it's 'cos we were fit lads who ran and could inflate our lungs to a greater capacity than most people but I don't know if that's true. My wife who's tiny registered over the limit after having only one vodka and tonic. After that, as my job depends on my licence, I am always ultra cautious as you never know.

The roadside device, as well as the evidential machine measures air from what it reckons to be the bottom of the lungs. That is where the concentration od alcohol molecules is likely to be at its strongest. When breathing normally the you create a tidal flow of about 3 litres of air per breath, and this is sufficient to carry out the necessary oxygen/gas exchange in your lungs. The three or more litres of air remaining in your lungs more or less stagnates, where if you have alcohol in your bloodstream, the stale air picks up more and more alcohol molecules. The breath devices are designed to discount the tidal volume and only sample the staler air, as it correlates more closely with the level of alcohol you actually have on board.

The fitter you are, and the larger your lung capacity, the cleaner that fourth litre of air is going to be. Similalrly, if you breathe out thoroughly and clean the stagnant air from the bottom of your lungs, and then inhale massive quantities of fresher air before you provide that 4 litre sample, the lower the reading.

I was a singer for many years, and have a lung capacity of getting on for 9 litres. I was once breathalysed by a mate who was on duty, when I was out for a night out and had had well over 8 pints. By adjusting the sample as above I was able to blow clear.

 

[Crankarm]

I may be applying for a post at the Ministry of Stating the Bleedin' Obvious but she could have downed a vodka or two at lunchtime?

I don't really have anything else to add to what has been said on this thread other than I, too, suspect she has a drinking problem.

Don't nurses have to administer drug dosages and operate complex medical equipment on which patients depend? Not very confidence inspiring to hear that a nurse may have their own issues with alcohol whilst continuing to practice. Infact I shouldn't imagine it's an isolated case given the pressures and strains of the medical professions. Some years ago medical profession friends I had were very partial to the sauce. Their parties were legendary. It was amazing how they could stand up let alone do a 120hr week .

But I hope in this instance the truth is established as to the cause of the nurse's elevated alcohol level.

 

[Cubist]

I know a guy who said he'd done that when he knew he was over the limit and said he therefore couldn't get done but he was called out on it and made to look a fool. Apparently the rate of alcohol depletion has a known algorythm and so it's possible to discover how much was in the system prior to whatever's been drunk subsequently.

Yes, it's called the "Hip-Flask defence." Complicated set of evidential rules to follow, but countback based on the level at the time of the sample, and what can be proved to have been drunk between offence/incident and sample often gets results.

 

[Cubist]

I hope you can see the flaw in this not being complete .

Sorry Marin old Luv, could you explain?

 

[Crankarm]

BTDTGTTS!

Eh....??

Please enlighten me and anyone else who is wondering.

 

[Mr Pig]

Well I guess, whatever the truth of the matter, it's a salient lesson. My wife likes the odd glass of wine and, despite sometimes feeling like a cold cider, I never touch a drop. I don't want there to be any doubt about my fitness to drive and want to be sure that at all times there is someone in the house who can use the car without hesitation.

I had an uncle who was banned for drunk driving, lost his job, wife, the full shift. He didn't make a secret of his drinking but rarely looked or acted drunk.