Intoxication Analysis

Science Summaries

Below, I present a review of the BACtrack S80 Select alcohol breathalyzer.

1. Blood Alcohol Scale
2. Sources of Breathalyzer Error

     My Data and Tests
3. Alcohol Elimination Table
     BrAC vs. Consumption Rate vs. Elimination
4. Test 1 - 15-Minute Test Rate
5. Test 2 - 20-Minute Test Rate
6. Test 3 - Altered Breathing Test Results
7. Test 4 - BrAC vs. Champagne Consumption
8. BACtrack S80 Test Considerations
9. Mouth Alcohol Test
10. Breathalyzer Conclusions

.
  Note

  Sober

  You looked at the bottle sideways

  Just fine

  Happy

  Friendly

  Outgoing

  Gregarious

1

  Buzzed

  Jiggered

  Looped

  Messed up

15

  Tanked

  Stewed - 2 times the legal limit

  Blitzed

  Fried

  Blasted Sloshed Soused

20

  Dazed, Confused

25

  Severely Impaired

30

 BACtrack S80 says "no accuracy" beyond 0.32, although its "range" is 0-0.500
  Stupor

35

  Coma

40

0.040 is the upper limit of the Alcotest 7410 device.
  Many breathalyzers don't work at >0.40%

  Possible death

45

0.050 is the upper limit of the Alcotest 7110 device.

> .50

  Many breathalyzers don't work at >0.50%

-

> .60

  Most breathalyzers don't work at >0.60%

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60

70

740- 300

100

70

70

60

BROAD, QUESTIONABLE PHYSICAL ASSUMPTIONS
1. Hematocrit level is assumed (can be changed by disease and/ or medication)
2. Partition Ratio is assumed - it can vary considerably by individual, and time
3. Body Type
4. Gender variation

TIME ELEMENT
-- Delay up to legal measurement - can result in an increased level or a decreased level - the level should be dropping if there was no recent consumption

AIR SAMPLE INTEGRITY
1. Top air vs. deep air - hyperventilation vs. slow breathing
2. Mouth alcohol - mouth wash, cough syrup
3. GERD - stomach alcohol is not breath alcohol - fat people learn to supress obvious burps

EQUIPMENT CALIBRATION
-- When was the last calibration?
-- Credentials of the calibration company? The technician?

MEDICAL COMPOUNDS
-- Aspirin therapy effects - hematocrit reduction
-- Other medications

MEDICAL ANOMALY
-- Partition Ratio is dramatically different than the average
-- Hematocrit level - constantly varies dramatically in some individuals

Trombetta Advisement
Failure to Advise of Breath Sample Destruction and Right to Independent Test

A person who chooses to submit to a breath test must be advised, before or after the test, that the breath-testing equipment does not retain the breath sample(s) for later retesting, and that he may submit to a urine or blood test at no additional cost to him. CVC §23614. See also, CVC §23612(d) (right to independent test).

The failure of an officer to so admonish the accused does not trigger suppression of the breath test results from the evidence at trial. CVC ¬ß23614(d). However, the fact of the omission is admissible at trial and the defense is entitled to a jury instruction‚ advising the jury of the provisions of [CVC ¬ß23614, formerly ¬ß¬ß23157.5 and 13353.5], and permitting the jury to consider the officer's failure to advise the defendant of his rights as a factor bearing on the credibility of the officer and the accuracy of the breath test administered by the officer or at his direction. People v. Alvarado (1986) 181 Cal.App.3d Supp 1.

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-

-

-

8 hours

6 hours

7 hour

5 hours

6 hours

4 hours

5 hours

3 hours

4 hours

2 hours

3 hours

1 hour

2 hours

BAC Limit

BAC Limit

-

NOTES:
1. For example, if your BAC is 0.09%, and you stop drinking, it will take about 30-40 minutes for your BAC to drop to the legal limit of 0.08%. At this level, any delay, such as 20 minutes, before the official test at the hospital or jail, is highly advantageous to the subject. As one comes much closer to the limit, sources of possible error become FAR more significant.

2. The 0.200% BAC starting point above is arbitrary, for purposes of illustration.

3. This function is not linear - the BAC influences the RATE at which alcohol is expelled. Expulsion rates are higher at very high and very low BAC levels http://www.intox.com/physiology.asp.

4. BrAC is frequently referred to as BAC - this is not correct. Many factors go into converting a Breath Alcohol Level into a Blood Alcohol Level, which can result in several types of error. Any BrAC reading is merely an ESTIMATE of BAC.

5. The results of my personal experiment below indicate that my elimination rate is much closer to 0.008% per hour, rendering the widely-accepted rates shown above NOT ACCURATE, by over 100%. I believe that this is due primarily to my aspirin therapy. Individual physiology can vary far from the "Norm".

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50

100

150-650

50

100

150

50

1st Reading = Normal breathing before test
2nd Reading = Normal breathing before test
3rd Reading = Normal breathing before test

1st Reading = Normal breathing before test
2nd Reading = Normal breathing before test
3rd Reading = Normal breathing before test

4 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

4 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

4:30

One 4 oz. wine

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

4:30

One 4 oz. wine

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

5 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.053

0.035

0.026

0.027

5 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

5:30

One 4 oz. wine

0.015

0.012

0.012

0.003

5:30

One 4 oz. wine

0.010

0.009

0.009

0.001

6 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.030

0.030

0.030

0.000

6 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.011

0.012

0.012

0.001

6:30

One 5 oz-(bottle consumed)

0.055

0.040

0.040

0.015

6:30

One 5 oz. wine (bottle)

0.022

0.023

0.023

0.001

7 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.060

0.055

0.054

0.006

7 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.032

0.032

0.032

0.000

7:30

One 4 oz. wine

0.068

0.062

0.064

0.006

7:30

One 4 oz. wine

0.048

0.044

0.044

0.004

8 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.076

0.073

0.074

0.003

8 PM

One 4 oz. wine (18 seconds)

0.052

0.051

0.052

0.001

8:30

0.117

0.090

0.088

0.029

8:30

0.063

0.063

0.063

0.000

9 PM

0.065

0.062

0.062

0.003

9 PM

0.060

0.060

0.062

0.002

9:30

Notice how whacked the readings are - I did not want to continue.

I was drunk at 8:30, but suddenly sober at 9:00? How can that be?

9:30

0.063

0.061

0.062

0.002

10 PM

10 PM

0.056

0.054

0.054

0.002

10:30

10:30

0.046

0.047

0.047

0.001

11 PM

11 PM

0.043

0.041

0.044

0.003

11:30

11:30

0.037

0.037

0.036

0.001

12 AM

12 AM

0.029

0.029

0.029

0.000

12:30

12:30

0.024

0.023

0.023

0.001

The quality Chardonnay was 14% alcohol.
Each 4oz. drink was consumed within 12 minutes.
This allowed for a 15 minute "clear" time.
I was sitting at my computer throughout the test.
I had eaten before, but did not eat during the test.
(3 minutes measure, 12 minutes drink, 15 min. wait)

The quality Chardonnay was 14% alcohol.
Each 4oz. drink was consumed within 7 minutes.
This allowed for a 20 minute "clear" time.
I was sitting at my computer throughout the test.
I had eaten before, but did not eat during the test.
(3 minutes measure, 7 minutes drink, 20 min. wait)

This FIRST test was designed to utilize the device at 15 MINUTE INTERVALS.

Review of the BACtrack S80 Select
Test Results Summary
As you can see, the 5 and 5:30 readings are totally bogus, not to mention backwards. At low alcohol levels, the S80 is highly sporadic.
The 5:00 PM readings showed a 100% variation (27/26).
The 5:30 PM readings showed a 25% variation (3/12).
The 6:00 PM readings showed a   0% variation (0/30).
The 6:30 PM readings showed a 37% variation (15/40).
The 7:00 PM readings showed a 11% variation (6/54).
The 7:30 PM readings showed a 10% variation (6/62).
The 8:00 PM readings showed a   4% variation (3/73).
The 8:30 PM readings showed a 33% variation (29/88).
The 9:00 PM readings showed a 5% variation (3/62). Unfortunately, these readings are totally wrong, and should have been above 0.120.
The 9:30 PM readings were stopped.


I took the test over at
http://www.ontariohighwaytrafficact.com/breathalyzer-test.php
and it said 9 drinks over 4 hours at 300 lbs. should result in a BAC of 0.069, which is pretty close to my results above, IF YOU IGNORE THE RADICAL. BLOWN-OUT READING AT 8:30 PM.

This SECOND test was designed to utilize the device at 20 MINUTE INTERVALS.

Review of the BACtrack S80 Select
Test Results Summary
The 5:00 PM readings showed a   0% variation (0/0).
The 5:30 PM readings showed a 11% variation (1/9).
The 6:00 PM readings showed a   9% variation (1/11).
The 6:30 PM readings showed a   5% variation (1/22).
The 7:00 PM readings showed a   0% variation (0/32).
The 7:30 PM readings showed a   9% variation (4/44).
The 8:00 PM readings showed a   2% variation (1/51).
The 8:30 PM readings showed a   0% variation (0/63).
The 9:00 PM readings showed a   3% variation (2/60).
The 9:30 PM readings showed a   3% variation (2/61).
The 10:00 PM readings showed a   4% variation (2/54).
The 10:30 PM readings showed a   2% variation (1/46).
The 11:00 PM readings showed a   7% variation (3/41).
The 11:30 PM readings showed a   3% variation (1/36).
The 12:00 AM readings showed a   0% variation (0/29).
The 12:30 AM readings showed a   4% variation (1/23).

I took the test over at
http://www.ontariohighwaytrafficact.com/breathalyzer-test.php
and it said 9 drinks over 4 hours at 320 lbs. should result in a BAC of 0.065, which is VERY close to my results above.

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CONCLUSION:
This BACtrack S80 has failed badly. It was 100% off at low readings, and it was 100% off at the "legally drunk" threshold - totally unacceptable.

CONCLUSION:

WOW! This test looks a lot different than the last one on the left! Maybe that "20 minutes" IS absolute!
Of course, guzzle and then stop, guzzle and then stop, is NOT a normal drinking pattern. Normally, one sips and sips.

I COULD NOT GET TO THE DEFINITION OF DRUNK, BY DRINKING 9 GLASSES OF WINE IN 4 HOURS - WHY? 320 lbs. is why.

Eight glasses of wine over 9 hours is not too much for a 320 lb. man. I have great capacity.
See Test #3 below, using a modified breathing technique.
See Test #4 below, when the wine imbibed is champagne.

50

210-900

50

50

50

50

30

50

210

50

50

50

50

1st Reading = Normal breathing before test
2nd Reading = One purge breath before test
3rd Reading = Two purge breaths before test

1st Reading = Normal breathing before test
2nd Reading = Normal breathing before test
3rd Reading = Normal breathing before test

4 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

4 PM

One 4 oz. champagne

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

4:30

One 4 oz. wine

0.024

0.016

0.015

0.009

4:30

One 4 oz. champagne

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

5 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.027

0.023

0.023

0.004

5 PM

One 4 oz. champagne

0.013

0.012

0.011

0.002

5:30

One 4 oz. wine

0.037

0.034

0.033

0.004

5:30

One 4 oz. champagne

0.017

0.017

0.017

0.000

6 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.051

0.046

0.044

0.007

6 PM

One 4 oz. champagne

0.023

0.024

0.024

0.001

6:30

One 5 oz - (bottle consumed)

0.054

0.050

0.050

0.004

6:30

One 5 oz. champagne (bottle)

0.037

0.036

0.037

0.001

7 PM

One 4 oz. wine -15 sec wait

0.077

0.065

0.057

0.020

7 PM

One 4 oz. champagne

0.047

0.047

0.047

0.000

7:30

One 4 oz. wine

0.072

0.066

0.066

0.006

7:30

One 4 oz. champagne

0.064

0.061

0.062

0.003

8 PM

One 4 oz. wine

0.079

0.064

0.064

0.015

8 PM

One 4 oz. champagne

0.103

0.099

0.096

0.007

8:30

0.089

0.074

0.069

0.020

8:30

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

9 PM

0.083

0.071

0.064

0.019

9 PM

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

9:30

0.071

0.059

0.058

0.013

9:30

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

10 PM

0.066

0.061

0.055

0.011

10 PM

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

10:30

0.060

0.055

0.050

0.010

10:30

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

11 PM

0.053

0.048

0.045

0.008

11 PM

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

11:30

0.048

0.043

0.040

0.008

11:30

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

12 AM

0.043

0.039

0.036

0.007

12 AM

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

12:30

0.038

0.033

0.030

0.008

12:30

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

The quality Chardonnay was 14% alcohol.
Each 4oz. drink was consumed within 7 minutes.
This allowed for a 20 minute "clear" time.
I was sitting at my computer throughout the test.
I had eaten before, but did not eat during the test.
(3 minutes measure, 7 minutes drink, 20 min. wait)

The Chandon champagne was 13% alcohol.
Each 4oz. drink was consumed within 7 minutes.
This allowed for a 20 minute "clear" time.
I was sitting at my computer throughout the test.
I had eaten before, but did not eat during the test.
(3 minutes measure, 7 minutes drink, 20 min. wait)

This THIRD test was designed to measure BAC readings when using ALTERED BREATHING patterns as described above.

Review of the BACtrack S80 Select
The 4:30 PM 3rd readings showed a 60% reduction (9/15) - who cares?.
The 5:00 PM 3rd readings showed a 17% reduction (4/23).
The 5:30 PM 3rd readings showed a 12% reduction (4/33).
The 6:00 PM 3rd readings showed a 16% reduction (7/44)
The 6:30 PM 3rd readings showed a   8% reduction (4/50).
The 7:00 PM 3rd readings showed a 35% reduction (20/57).
The 7:30 PM 3rd readings showed a   9% reduction (6/66).
The 8:00 PM 3rd readings showed a 23% reduction (15/64).
The 8:30 PM 3rd readings showed a 29% reduction (20/69).
The 9:00 PM 3rd readings showed a 28% reduction (19/69).
The 9:30 PM 3rd readings showed a 22% reduction (13/58).
The 10:00 PM 3rd readings showed a 20% reduction (11/55).
The 10:30 PM 3rd readings showed a 20% reduction (10/50).
The 11:00 PM 3rd readings showed a 18% reduction (8/45).
The 11:30 PM 3rd readings showed a 20% reduction (8/40).
The 12:00 AM 3rd readings showed a 19% reduction (7/36).
The 12:30 AM 3rd readings showed a 27% reduction (8/30).


I took the test over at
http://www.ontariohighwaytrafficact.com/breathalyzer-test.php
and it said 9 drinks over 4 hours at 300 lbs. should result in a BAC of 0.069, which is pretty close to my results above.

This FOURTH test was designed to measure BAC readings when CHAMPAGNE was consumed.

Review of the BACtrack S80 Select
The 4:30 PM readings showed a   0% variation (0/00).
The 5:00 PM readings showed a 18% variation (2/11) - who cares?.
The 5:30 PM readings showed a   0% variation (0/17).
The 6:00 PM readings showed a   4% variation (1/23).
The 6:30 PM readings showed a   3% variation (1/36).
The 7:00 PM readings showed a   0% variation (0/47).
The 7:30 PM readings showed a   5% variation (3/61).
The 8:00 PM readings showed a   7% variation (9/96).
The 8:30 PM readings showed a   x% variation (x/xx).
The 9:00 PM readings showed a   x% variation (x/xx).
The 9:30 PM readings showed a   x% variation (x/xx).
The 10:00 PM readings showed a   x% variation (x/xx).
The 10:30 PM readings showed a   x% variation (x/xx).
The 11:00 PM readings showed a   x% variation (x/xx).
The 11:30 PM readings showed a   x% variation (x/xx).
The 12:00 AM readings showed a   x% variation (x/xx).
The 12:30 AM readings showed a   x% variation (x/xx).


I took the test over at
http://www.ontariohighwaytrafficact.com/breathalyzer-test.php
and it said 9 drinks over 4 hours at 320 lbs. should result in a BAC of 0.065.

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CONCLUSION:
Do altered breathing patterns work? YES! PROFOUNDLY. Just look at the figures above. However, to be the most effective, you would have to huff and puff like a mad dog, which unfortunately, would grab the officer's attention. Whatcha gonna do about that? Claim that, "You breathe your way, I'll breathe mine?" Ha-ha. Good Luck!

The Solution
Notice that a second deep-breath purge, in general, provides an additional incremental reduction, but it does not compare to the profound reduction resulting from the first, single-breath reduction. In other words, the first lung-air purge provides the greatest advantage, so make it a good one. Breathe in as deeply as you can, and then expel the air with extreme force, BEFORE you take the deep breath for the breathalyzer.

TIP: To avoid being noticed, be somewhat quiet, and perform TWO purge breaths. Or more. How good are you? Is mouth or nose best? Which is less noticeable?

Regarding your heaving chest, try to cover it with grandma's quilt.

One could train oneself to surreptitiously hyperventilate in a controlled and quiet manner. The effect may be only 1/2 that of more vigorous breathing, but still sufficient for one to avoid hitting that "legally drunk" mark. Some folks know this, and are able to manipulate the results to their advantage. It is, of course, patently unfair that such a large, conscious effect can be imposed at will, for ONLY CERTAIN individuals. Another inequity of BrAC testing.

CONCLUSION:
Champagne apparently does NOT have the quicker, "bubbles-to-the-brain" effect that is so widely claimed. At least, not in my case. But then, I am not average.

For instance, my alcohol dissipation rate is about 1/3 what is considered average. Two models are used most frequently:
-- the 0.015 BrAC/per hour elimination model, and
-- the 0.020 BrAC/per hour elimination model (most common).

According to my own study on this page (Test #2), my BrAC elimination rate is much closer to 0.006 BrAC/per hour - about 1/3 the so-called "20-minute" average.
My theory: Booze clings to my tissues, due to my immense size, and evil desire to be busted for DUI.

50

210-950

50

50

50

50

30

50

210

50

50

50

50

BACtrack S80 TEST CONSIDERATIONS
1. There is a 15 or 20 minute delay after the drink is consumed, to allow mouth alcohol to dissipate, before the reading is taken.
2. The second reading is taken 1 minute after the first, allowing the instrument to clear. (Some evidence units must clear for 12 minutes.)
3. I am a big man - 300 lbs. Your alcohol levels will be higher, since you weigh a lot less. This data applies only to a large man on FOUR medications.

QUALIFICATIONS AND DATA
1. I have spent many years of my life measuring and recording billionths-of-a-second phenomena with highly sophisticated equipment. It didn't take long to spot BS in this breathalyzer thing, and I will publish more about it.
2. No theory here - all values above were measured by me.
3. As you can see, this device is highly UNRELIABLE, ESPECIALLY near the legal limit, where the variation was 33%. Notice how the first reading is usually the highest, tapering down from there. The repeatability of this device is UNACCEPTABLE. I suspect that similar devices operate in a similar fashion. The lack of repeatability means that these devices are NOT accurate.

SERVING SIZES
A glass of wine is defined as 4 oz. - that's mighty sparse - a typical wine glass holds 6 oz. of wine. When YOU are drinking it (probably). In high-society and very expensive restaurants, the 4 oz. serving is just fine. But for you and I, if the host only gave you 1/2 glass of wine, it would be chintzing, and noticeable. Keep in mind the ratio of official glass vs. actual glass of 2:3. If you have had 6 actual glasses (6 oz. each), that would be the same as 9 official glasses (4 oz. each)
Old bottles = 1/5 gallon = 128 / 5 ==== 25.600 ounces = 6.40 glasses
New bottles = 750ml === 750 / 29.57 = 25.363 ounces = 6.34 glasses
1 glass = 4 oz. ----- 1 US ounce = 29.57 milliliters

BACtrack S80 Notes
On page 7, the BACtrack S80 Owner's Manual strongly states -
"Test subjects should wait 20 minutes after eating, drinking, or smoking before blowing into the BACtrack Breathalyzer. Failure to wait 20 minutes can provide inaccurate test results and damage the sensor."BLOWING TOO SOON WILL RENDER THE MACHINE UNUSABLE! Pretty flimsy technology, wouldn't you say? What if it is "on-the-edge"?

Could this be why my test on the left above failed miserably? Only 15 minutes clearing time instead of 20?
If so, then what about these questions?

1. Does the arresting officer ask the subject about consumption during the last 20 minutes? NO. They do not. RED FLAG!

2. Did the last person who used the device NOT WAIT the prescribed 20 minutes, and DAMAGE THE SENSOR? This could EASILY occur, since the calibration schedule is typically WEEKS. Was the last person tested totally whacked out on alcohol, drugs and tobacco, and did they spew contaminants onto the sensor? THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW. RED FLAG!

3. The S80 BrAC accuracy is ONLY SPECIFIED at 0.05%, where IT DOESN'T MATTER! What is the accuracy at 0.08% BrAC? Why don't they spec it here? I'll tell you why. It is NOT AS ACCURATE at 0.08% BrAC. In the electronics specsmanship world, this is known as "cherry-picking". For these types of device, the accuracy MUST BE SPECIFIED OVER A RANGE, in order to be meaningful. They don't do that. RED FLAG!

4. From page 15 of the S80 manual -
"KHN solutions does not warrant that the operation of the product will be error-free". In other words, it is USELESS, because it might work, or it might not! RED FLAG!

5. From page 17 of the S80 manual -
"The accuracy of this device has been established at a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.08 and 0.32. "Has been established" is BULL - has been established at WHAT % ERROR? Hello? Also, this only applies to the DEVICE TYPE - NOT my particular device. More BULL! This does NOT address unit-to-unit variation. Unit-to-unit variation is NOT SPECIFIED. RED FLAG!

Bogus Specifications
Specified readout time "Response Time" is "3 seconds". In reality, it is closer to 18 seconds. What's up with this? You say one thing, but reality is another thing?

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50

500-700

50

Note

221

Conclusions -

1. Even if you only swirled mouthwash in your mouth, and have consumed ZERO alcohol, you are LEGALLY drunker than a skunk, if measured within 5 minutes.

2. If you have consumed some alcohol, the use of a mouthwash can EASILY SKEW your BrAC to a higher level, putting you over-the-top.

3. Approximately 17 minutes must pass for all the mouth alcohol to be dissipated (in my test).

If you anticipate being pulled over, and you have bad breath, DO NOT reach for the Listerine.

222-223

224

226-30

228

230

231-30

233

234-30

235

236-30

238

239-30

240-30

Notes:
1. No alcohol consumption in last 48 hours
2. Swirl CoolMint Listerine in mouth for 1 minute (21.6% alcohol)
3. Wait one minute - begin first measurement
4. Device used was the BACtrack S80 Select
5. Successive readings taken as soon as the tester allows
6. Normal breathing throughout, mouth closed
7. Test date May 15, 2010
8. Note that the first reading is well within the S80 device's range of 0 - 0.500 BrAC, so I could not have possibly "damaged the sensor".
9. My CoolMint Listerine was 21.6% alcohol - original formula Listerine is 26.9% alcohol, which would have made the readings worse. Other mouthwashes can have an even higher alcohol %, although most have less.
- - - Yes, Martha, mouth alcohol can be a BIG DEAL!

100

100

100

300

CONCLUSION -
Legal BAC Threshold Measurement Is Mighty Iffy

Anyone who produces a 0.24 BrAC is clearly whacked. I have no issue with this.

HOWEVER, when used to determine a BAC of 0.08, there are so many variables associated with these devices, that ANY DETERMINATION of 0.08% BAC is ARBITRARY, and INEQUITABLE, at best, for the following reasons. A composite error of 15% is easily achievable.

Subject Variation
- Medical conditions - hematocrit level, partition ratio, GERD, aspirin therapy
- Mouth alcohol, food ingestion, smoking within last 20 minutes
- Body type - gender variation - NOT part of the equation
- Breathing technique - minimizing deep lung air in the sample - surreptitiously deeply expel, then deeply inhale
- People with huge lung capacity at great advantage - can expel mostly upper lung air - another inequity

Measurement Variation
- Device variation - calibration, no consideration of recent contamination, can be knocked out of kilter
- Improper device spec'ing, NO SPECIFICATION over the RANGE of readings ENCOUNTERED
- Operator error - modified breathing technique not detected (I will run another test specifically for this)

Semantics
BAC is frequently used incorrectly, when BrAC is the proper term. This omits, and glosses over, the important fraught-with-error conversion process, with its various broad assumptions, especially concerning partition ratio.

Device Design
Bogus auto-repeat software to imply greater device accuracy, such as used by Weight-Watcher scales
Weight-Watcher scales use a rather underhanded method of readout, to imply that the scales are more accurate than they actually are. If the person being weighed gets back on the scales within 30 seconds, the machine does NOT produce a new reading - instead, it merely repeats the last reading, to make the user feel that the scales are REALLY accurate. However, If you wait for 1 minute, you will get a new reading (because it might be somebody else). Do manufacturers of breathalyzers think like this? They need every ounce of credibility they can get. Could they? Yes. Would they? Who has checked their software?

BREATHALYZER TESTS ARE AN INACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT

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500-700

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DISCLAIMER
Although the author has tried to be as accurate as possible, errors are possible.
I made this BACtrack S80 review page, while performing my own tests. I hope that you like it.

Junk Science plus Junk Cops = Contrived Conviction


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