Posting this to look out for Friends.

Obtaining a correct reading from a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) breathalyzer:

I drink and then drive. I know.. like.. three people, that don't. Note, it is not illegal to drink and drive. It is only illegal to be over the (now national) limit of .08 BAC. What matters, is that a person doesn't go over that limit. One can argue that for safety reasons. I do not make that argument. At .13, I could easily drive a coned autocross course, and not hit a single cone. Lets face it, pretty much everyone who owns a BMW, that hangs out on these boards, has a driving skill level that is far beyond the average soccer dad driving a Camry and IS dangerous at .13. The real argument for us not being over the limit, is not losing your license.

Let's get real. I'm not going to stop drinking. I don't abuse it, but I do drink sometimes. There it is. I decided it was time to buy a breathalyzer. I bought a high quality unit that is DOT and NHTSA certified. This unit is at the level that law enforcement use in the field. These are the ones you are up against if you are stopped.

This has been extremely educational. The websites and Mythbuster results that state that you cannot manipulate or get around a field unit breathalyzer are incorrect. What we have learned is that the units are likely sensing very accurately, but that the way you use it HUGELY effects the BAC level reported.

Prior to use:
- Start breathing intensely. Not fast. Slow and deep. 3 to 6 full deep cycles.
- Sllloowww... If you breathe fast / rushed, you will hyperventilate.. meaning.. you will leave lots of residual waste gases in your lungs. You want your lungs to be full of oxygen.
- Breathe through your mouth and not your nose. It is your mouth alcohol level that causes the units to FALSELY register too high. You need to supply the unit with oxygen from deep within your lungs. That will measure your TRUE BAC. Your mouth alcohol level is incorrect.
- As you breathe through these deep cycles, push all the air out on the exhale. Down to nothing.
- Take one last very deep breath in.
- Blow into the unit VERY hard. Really hard. This pulls the air from your lungs and not your mouth.
- If the officer says you are blowing too hard and to try again, you don't care. They are trying to arrest you. They are not your buddy. THis is not a routine traffic stop. They are collecting evidence to send you to jail. It is that simple. Ignore them, and repeat the test just as before. Blow like you are trying to blow the back off of the unit. From the bottom of your chest. Volunteer to do it 5 times if necessary. Do NOT blow softly and from a shallow breath.

You are not cheating the breathalyzer. To the contrary.. you are recording a true and accurate reading. Shallow breaths and blowing softly.. you are recording your last sip of a drink. That is a false reading.

The facts; Over and over, without variation, the folks who have tested on this unit can dramatically lower their BAC by using the unit correctly. For example, going from .07, down to .04, just in how you do it. Think about this for a second; According to the BAC calculators on the internet, if you are a male and weigh 160 pounds there abouts, and have two beers in the course of one hour and then drive, you should be fine. Well below the limit. Test on the unit with bad technique, and you could hit .08 to .10. Use it properly and you could be .05 to .07. Totally legal.

Forget all the moral arguments about getting drunk and then driving. I'm talking about the basics; Drinking a small reasonable amount with friends, and staying within legal limits... to do it again another day! Just wanted to pass this along, as you guys all matter. :-)

I recommend buying one of these units by the way. I'm learning.. drinking and driving without it, is like speeding without a radar / laser detector.