Blood Alcohol Levels May Lead to DUI Arrest

Breathalyzer devices are used by law enforcement to measure blood alcohol concentration levels. These measurements are used as evidence to obtain DUI convictions.

2011-09-01

September 01, 2011 (Press-News.org) The breathalyzer is a breath alcohol-testing device invented in 1954 to assist police in assessing blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels. Breathalyzer devices do not measure exact levels of blood alcohol concentration. Rather, the devices make estimates based on measurements of alcohol in the breath.

When a person drinks alcoholic beverages, the alcohol is absorbed into the blood stream through the mouth, stomach and intestines. The blood then moves through the lungs where some of the alcohol enters the air sacks and is exhaled, providing an indicator of how much alcohol is in the blood stream.

If a law enforcement officer suspects someone of drunk driving, the officer may take a breath test reading to detect alcohol. To measure the alcohol, the officer will ask the driver to breathe into the device.

The air exhaled will bubble through a chemical mixture in the breathalyzer device. If the chemical mixture changes color, there is alcohol present. The greater the color change, the higher the blood alcohol concentration.

Are Breathalyzer Results Accurate?

Breathalyzers are generally accepted as accurate indicators of BAC, even though they only estimate BAC rather than test it directly like DUI blood tests. Among other problems, the breathalyzers used by police officers can be sensitive to temperatures and improperly calibrated. They can also be affected by compounds in a person's breath.

If there is reason to believe that the breathalyzer is inaccurate, a defendant may be able to challenge the results of the breathalyzer in court.

Currently, the Minnesota Supreme Court is reviewing a lower court's decision that source code problems with the Intoxilyzer 5000EN did not affect the breath test machine's accuracy. This particular DUI breath test uses infrared technology to measure how many particles of alcohol are in the breath sample and then converts it to a BAC reading. The test's source codes end up determining whether or not a person should be charged with DUI. If the case is successful, hundreds -- even thousands -- of defendants may have cases dismissed.

Breathalyzer Results Used as Evidence

In most states, driving with a .08 BAC or higher is a criminal offense. If an officer discovers that a person is driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while ability impaired (DWAI), the officer will take the person into custody and file drunk driving charges. During the court hearing, the breathalyzer result will likely be used as evidence against the driver.

In Colorado, even a first DUI offense can result in severe consequences such as fines, jail time and driver's license suspension. If a driver is arrested for drunk driving, it is very important to consult with a Colorado drunk driving defense attorney right away. The attorney can work to have the charge dismissed or to minimize the consequences of the charge.

Article provided by Jurdem, LLC
Visit us at www.jurdem.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

TRMM satellite sees heavy rain, towering clouds in Tropical Storm Katia

2011-09-01

While parts of the East Coast and New England are still recovering from Hurricane Irene, a new storm is brewing in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Katia. The TRMM satellite looked "under the hood" of the storm and saw heavy rainfall rates and towering clouds providing a clue that she was going to strengthen and may become a hurricane later today. Katia began as an area of low pressure that had moved away from the coast of Africa south of the Cape Verde Islands in the central eastern Atlantic. This area of low pressure became the twelfth tropical depression of the season ...

Hotel near Atlanta Airport Provides Lodging to Labor Day Weekend Atlanta Travelers

2011-09-01

The Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Airport Hotel (North) offers convenient lodging to travelers visiting Atlanta, GA during Labor Day Weekend 2011. Atlanta is a vibrant city host to many upcoming events for the holiday weekend including: - AJC Decatur Book Festival, September 2-4 - Atlanta Braves Baseball, home games August 30 - September 4 - Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Georgia Dome, September 3 - AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, September 4 "From exciting events to many local area attractions, such as Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, Zoo Atlanta, Stone ...

Federal investment in electronic health records likely to reap returns in quality of care

2011-09-01

CLEVELAND – Research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine gives cause for optimism that federal investments in electronic health records (EHRs) could reap major benefits in better patient care and health outcomes. A study based in the Cleveland (Ohio) area involving more than 27,000 adults with diabetes found that those in physician practices using EHRs were significantly more likely to have health care and outcomes that align with accepted standards than those where doctors rely on paper records. Improvements in care and outcomes over a three-year period ...

Atlanta Perimeter Hotel Offers Nearby Lodging to Guests Attending Earth, Wind & Fire at Chastain Park Amphitheater

2011-09-01

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlanta Perimeter Hotel North offers convenient lodging to guests attending Earth, Wind, & Fire at Chastain Park Amphitheater on Friday, August 23, 2011 at 8:00pm. Part of Delta Classic Chastain Concerts presented by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Earth, Wind & Fire tour is celebrating the group's 40th anniversary. This is a table set-up concert; coolers and carry-ins are allowed. Featuring longtime group members Verdine White, Philip Bailey and B. David Whitworth, Earth, Wind & Fire is an American Rhythm and Blues band ...

Awareness of ethnicity-based stigma found to start as early as second grade

2011-09-01

Students are stigmatized for any number of reasons, from the clothes they wear to what model cell phone they clench in their hands. Now, in a new report, researchers from UCLA show that youths from a range of ethnic-minority backgrounds have an added burden to contend with: ethnicity-based stigmatization. Even elementary school–aged children are aware of such stigmatization and, like older youths, they feel more anxious about school as a result. In the current online edition of the journal Child Development, senior author Andrew J. Fuligni, a UCLA professor of psychiatry, ...

Argentina's Santa Fe government reducing lead ammunition for sports hunters

2011-09-01

The Wildlife Conservation Society applauds the government of Santa Fe Province for taking steps to reduce the amount of lead ammunition used in hunting of waterfowl, the first such action of its kind in Argentina. Enacted for this year's hunting season, the regulation requires hunters to reduce usage of lead shot by 25 percent. The regulation initiates a process that may lead to the eventual ban of lead shot. Lead is known to cause severe adverse effects on the health of animals and humans and permanently pollute the environment. "This is a huge step forward," said ...

British Airways Cabin Crew to Use iPads to Revolutionise Customer Service

2011-09-01

British Airways cabin crew are using the latest iPad model to bring a new dimension to customer service in the air. The iPads enable cabin crew to have prior awareness of customer preferences and a greater understanding of each customer's previous travel arrangements, allowing them to offer a truly bespoke, personalised service. The iPad lets crew quickly identify where each customer is seated, who they are travelling with, their Executive Club status and any special meal requests. It gives cabin crew a whole library of information at their fingertips including timetables, ...

Aging eyes linked to sleepless nights, new study shows

2011-09-01

DARIEN, IL – A natural yellowing of the eye lens that absorbs blue light has been linked to sleep disorders in a group of test volunteers, according to a study in the September 1 issue of the journal Sleep. As this type of lens discoloration worsened with age, so did the risk of insomnia. "The strong link between lens yellowing and age could help explain why sleep disorders become more frequent with increasing age," said Line Kessel, M.D., Ph.D., the study's lead author. In the Danish study, 970 volunteers had their eyes examined by lens autofluorometry, a non-invasive ...

Insomnia costing US workforce $63.2 billion a year in lost productivity, study shows

2011-09-01

DARIEN, Ill. – Insomnia is costing the average U.S. worker 11.3 days, or $2,280 in lost productivity every year, according to a study in the September 1 issue of the journal Sleep. As a nation, the total cost is 252.7 days and $63.2 billion. "We were shocked by the enormous impact insomnia has on the average person's life," said lead author Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D. "It's an underappreciated problem. Americans are not missing work because of insomnia. They are still going to their jobs but accomplishing less because they're tired. In an information-based economy, it's ...

Increased prevalence of stroke hospitalizations seen in teens and young adults

2011-09-01

Ischemic stroke hospitalization rates in adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 44 increased up to 37% between 1995 and 2008 according to a study conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The findings available today in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and the Child Neurology Society, report an increase in the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, lipid disorders, and tobacco use among this age group during the 14-year study period. The American Heart Association states that stroke ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

First fossil evidence of endangered tropical tree discovered

New gene linked to severe cases of Fanconi anemia

METTL3 drives oral cancer by blocking tumor-suppressing gene

Switch to two-point rating scales to reduce racism in performance reviews, research suggests

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: May 9, 2025

Stability solution brings unique form of carbon closer to practical application

New research illustrates the relationship between moral outrage on social media and activism

New enzyme capable of cleaving cellulose should revolutionize biofuel production

Krebs von den Lungen-6 as a biomarker for distinguishing between interstitial lung disease and interstitial lung abnormalities based on computed tomography findings