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GERD- Acid Reflux & the DUI breath machine

By Bruce M. Robinson, P.A.

Another question regarding the ubiquitous DUI breath machine, in Maryland the EC/IR; soon to be replaced by the newer and more advanced EC/IR II. Question: what about if I burped before I blew in the machine? What if I have GERD, acid reflux, or other digestive issues? GERD and/or acid reflux are medical conditions that cause a person to suffer heart burn types of pain in their chest which often results in belching gaseous stomach contents up through the esophagus and into the mouth. These gas contents can include stomach acid which burns the chest, ie., heart burn, and can include alcohol that resides in the stomach or upper digestive tract. Ok, so what? There can not be enough alcohol in the upper digestive track to actually influence the alcohol reading on the magic box, right? Consider this: as you know from earlier posts, the machine extrapolates blood alcohol content in the body by measuring the perceived breath alcohol content and then multiplying that number by 2100! Therefore, if the magic box perceives the slightest degree of breath alcohol, whether it be real or as a result of acid reflux, it then multiplies that number by 2100 and the box states that you are drunk...continue to full post

Full post as published by Maryland DUI Lawyer Blog on August 04, 2007 (boomark / email).