A breath alcohol test is used to determine how much alcohol is in your blood by measuring the amount of alcohol in the air you breathe out (exhale) since the alcohol content of exhaled air accurately reflects the alcohol content of the blood. The test is typically performed by law enforcement officers.
There are different ways to test the level of alcohol in the breath. One common manual tester requires you to blow up a balloon in one continuous breath until it is full, then release the air into a glass tube. The tube is filled with bands of yellow crystals. The color changes depending on the alcohol content. Count the bands in the tube that have changed from yellow to green and the number reflects the amount of alcohol in your body. With an electronic machine, you just need to blow into the machine and it will show you the reading.
When the amount of alcohol in the blood reaches 0.02 - 0.03%, you may feel a relaxing "high." When that percentage reaches 0.05 - 0.10%, you have reduced muscular coordination, a longer reaction time, and impaired judgment. Driving abilities vary among people with the same blood-alcohol levels. Some people with blood-alcohol levels below 0.05% may not be able to safely drive.
Driving drunk is dangerous. A person with alcohol levels of 0.08% and above is considered legally drunk in most states. (Some states have lower levels than others.)
Source: National Library of Medicine (NLM)
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