Analyzing the breath of a person is considered to be one of the best and most effective means of identifying the substances recently consumed within an individual’s digestive system. You will probably have experienced at sometime an individual sitting next to you with a rather foul breath. Some of the most identifiable of fragrances include onions and alcohol. Both these substances have a rather repulsive smell and could cause people to maintain a certain amount of distance from the inebriated individual or the individual that has consumed an inordinate amount of onions. With the increasing dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol, probably the most common form of breath testing all over the world is used to identify the amount of alcohol content in an individual’s system. The dangers of a significant level of alcohol include disruption of a person’s judgment as well as ability to stay alert. Both these factors are the primary causes of a millions of deaths all over the world on an early basis.
Breath tests for alcohol content identifies the amount of alcohol in an individual’s bloodstream by measuring the alcohol levels in the exhaled air. The test is most effective after a period of 15 minutes from the time an individual has consumed an alcoholic beverage and a minute after a cigarette has been smoked. There are a number of testing machines that all serve the purpose of identifying the blood alcohol level in a person’s system and are usually completely painless. Most follow the same set of indicators on the instruments where a single green band indicates that the alcohol level is in control at 0.05% or lower, while two green bands will indicate that the alcohol level stands between 0.05% and 0.10%. The highest indication of inebriation is recorded with three green bands and indicates the blood alcohol level is anything above 0.10%. Since each state has its own individual laws pertaining to levels of alcohol that are permitted, the general consensus amongst most states is the level of 0.08% is considered to be legally drunk. It also helps to know that the amount of alcohol present in the blood will reach its highest levels about an hour after consumption and the presence of food along with the alcohol will serve to prolong this timeframe. The alcohol in the system is broken down and detoxified by the liver before it is passed out of the body through the urine.