# Breathalyzers - diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 12, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathalyzers-diffrent-strokes-for-diffrent-folks/344136 "2006-02-12T19:36:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathalyzers-diffrent-strokes-for-diffrent-folks/344136/1 "2006-02-12T19:36:10Z")
I recently purchased a small breathalyzer for entertainment at parties. It arrived yesterday, in time to try it out on a saturday night at the bar. Overall, it seemed to be accurate for most people. For me, it added about .02 for each beer drunk, which for my weight jives with other BAC charts I’ve seen. But for some people, who I knew for a fact were completely trashed would not register above .03 or .04. Others who were equally as intoxicated registered a more realistic .2 or .3. Is this a difference in people’s differing abilities to handle alcohol? If so, can I now make fun of those who could not ‘handle’ a lower BAC? Or is this a diffence in the way some people register on the machine - for some reason, different amounts of alcohol are expelled in their breath? And can I make fun of them anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathalyzers-diffrent-strokes-for-diffrent-folks/344136/2 "2006-02-12T19:43:54Z")
The cheap breathlyzers aren’t always the most accurate but they do well enough for rough estimates. They are a good indirect measurement of the alcohol in the bloodstream. WYSIWYG. Some people really do get very intoxicated at low levels of alcohol consumption. They may actually drink very little while others drink many times that amount to get the same effect. In essense, they are “lightweights” if you take several measures over time and it comes out the same way. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathalyzers-diffrent-strokes-for-diffrent-folks/344136/3 "2006-02-12T20:09:16Z")
I did take several readings over a period of time, and it was consistent for each person. Also, except for the guy who blew a .3, who was just messing around with it, I waited about 10 minutes or so after someone had their last drink to measure them, to prevent abnormally high readings. Well, if nothing else, I now get to needle one of my friends about being such a lightweight, and how he’s not allowed to drive if he ever blows higher than a .01 ;). ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathalyzers-diffrent-strokes-for-diffrent-folks/344136/4 "2006-02-12T20:10:35Z")
They may not have been blowing hard enough (easy to understand, if they were trashed). You generally have to blow REALLY hard for them to work right. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathalyzers-diffrent-strokes-for-diffrent-folks/344136/5 "2006-02-12T20:17:00Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > But for some people, who I knew for a fact were completely trashed would not register above .03 or .04. Others who were equally as intoxicated registered a more realistic .2 or .3. I assume you to be .02 and .03. Accoring to [this site](http://www.gdcada.org/statistics/alcohol/bac%20levels.htm): > [@](#): > > **0.07-0.09 BAC** > •. **08 is legally impaired and it is illegal to drive at this level** > • slight impairment of balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing > • euphoria > • reduced judgment and self-control > • impaired caution, reason and memory > • belief that they are functioning better than they really are > > – snip – > > **0.20 BAC** > • feeling dazed, confused and otherwise disoriented > • may need help to stand or walk > • if injured, may not feel the pain > • nausea and vomiting > • impaired gag reflex – drinker can choke if they vomit > • blackouts – drinker may not remember what has happened > > **0.25 BAC** > • severely impaired mental, physical, and sensory functions > • increased risk of asphyxiation from choking on vomit > • increased risk of serious injure by falls or other unintentional accidents > > **0.30 BAC** > • stupor > • little comprehension of where they are > • may pass out suddenly and be difficult to awaken ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breathalyzers-diffrent-strokes-for-diffrent-folks/344136/6 "2006-02-12T20:35:43Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > I assume you to be .02 and .03. You mean what was my level, or what did I mean? I blew a .1, having had a white russian at the bar, bringing it up from an earlier .07. As I said in another post, the guy who blew a .3 was blowing into the machine right after drinking, which gives you a wildly exaggerated reading. I tested him later after a few more drinks and waiting 10 minutes to test, and he blew a .2 > [@toadspittle](#): > > They may not have been blowing hard enough (easy to understand, if they were trashed). You generally have to blow REALLY hard for them to work right. That was one of the first things we figured out. Luckily, this unit beeps once when you are blowing properly, and again when the blow has continued for the 4 seconds necessary to get a reading.