Manipulation of Breath Alcohol Tests: Can Specific Techniques Alter Blood Alcohol Concentration Readings?

This is a prospective cohort study. The investigators will enroll 50 healthy volunteers. In
a safe environment and after signing informed consent, each participant will consume a
standardized alcoholic beverage. Using a Breathalyzer, the subjects BAT will be measured. If
the subject's BAT is less than 0.10 +/- 0.005, the subject will drink another alcoholic
beverage. This process will continue until the subject's BAT is 0.10 +/- 0.005. The number
of alcoholic beverages the subject consumes will be monitored by the observers. When the
target BAT is reached, the subjects will manipulate the breathalyzer in various ways and
measure their BAT again after each manipulation. In a set order, the subjects will
manipulate the breathalyzer by using less than the subject's maximal exhalation effort,
placing the breathalyzer at the side of the subject's mouth, hyperventilating (10 rapidly
(less than 1 second) and successive breaths prior to using the device), repeating
breathalyzer 5 minutes and 10 minutes after hyperventilation and then drinking cold water
after the breathalyzer at 10 minutes and repeating the breathalyzer after drinking some cold
water. Descriptive statistical analyses as well as Pearson's product moment correlation
coefficient will be employed to determine if any statistically significant correlation
exists for any of the manipulations.