Chemical Distortions

• Many partiers don't realize that the medicine you ingest can cause a false breathalyzer reading. Medications for colds and coughs contain alcohol that can affect the results. The National Substance Abuse Index website states that the breathalyzer does not measure alcohol directly. Instead, the test measures chemicals from the methyl alcohol group. The website further states that there are over 200 compounds in that group. This includes the methyl alcohol in gas fumes, glue, paint and other chemicals that are absorbed in the skin and enters your breath. Mouthwash is also a skewing factor. The American Bar Association Journal article "New Test for DUI Defense" (February 2005) asserts that environmental chemicals such as carbon monoxide from vehicle exhaust can also skew breathalyzer results.
  
  

Biological Factors

• In addition to chemical absorption, common conditions such as acid reflux, diabetes, and even cancer can skew a breathalyzer test. The test is measuring the chemical side effects of these conditions and not the alcohol. Joey Gilbert & Associates Ltd, a Reno law office that specializes in DUI cases, states that the Atkins diet -- with its low carbohydrate meal plan -- can create a false reading on a breathalyzer.
  
  

Human Error

• An officer calibrates the breathalyzer machine. This creates an opportunity for human error that attorneys have used to get breathalyzer readings thrown out. Things like performing the test after the person being tested burps or not waiting a full 15 minutes before administering the test can result in a skewed result, according to the National Substance Abuse Index website.
  
  

Considerations

• It can be wise to retain an attorney to dispute the results of a breathalyzer test. You can counter a skewed breathalyzer test by requesting a more accurate blood alcohol test. The police will have to take you into the police station for the blood test, but avoiding a DUI conviction is worth waiting a few hours for blood work.