AFC Revere Breath Alcohol Test
Keeping Yourself And Others Safe
When you drink alcohol, it goes into your stomach and small intestine. It gets absorbed
into your blood, which carries it through your body and into your brain and lungs. You
exhale it when you breathe. A breath alcohol test measures how much alcohol is in the
air you breathe out. The device uses that measurement to estimate how much alcohol is
in your blood. That number is known as your BAC, or blood alcohol content.
BAC may go up as soon as 15 minutes after drinking and is usually highest about an
hour after drinking. In North Carolina, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a BAC
above 0.08%. Many companies that operate dangerous machinery or use hazardous
materials have their own BAC limits when on the job, and some even have zero
tolerance for any BAC.
We administer Breath Alcohol Tests at AFC Revere. A Breath Alcohol Test
is used to measure how much alcohol is currently in the blood. Many employers use this
method as a pre-employment protocol or post-accident precautionary. These tests are
reliable and very accurate in showing the current levels of intoxication; however, they do
not measure past alcohol use.
What Is A Breath Alcohol Test?
Screening devices used at AFC Revere are about the size of a remote
control. The applicant will blow into a disposable mouthpiece. The whole process from
start to results takes around a minute. The results show the alcohol level in the person’s
blood at the exact time the test was taken. The test does not cause any pain or
discomfort and is usually uneventful.
The device measures how much alcohol content is in the blood. If you have a blood
alcohol content of 0.2 and above, it means that you have a positive result. The
consumption of 2 or more alcoholic beverages within the hour prior to your breath
alcohol test will result in a positive blood alcohol content.
Why Is A Breath Alcohol Test Used?
As your blood alcohol content rises, you can get clumsy and take longer to react, and
you may not make good choices. These things make driving or operating heavy
machinery dangerous. Breath alcohol tests are done to prevent accidents and ensure
the safety of the person. Breath alcohol tests are usually done on drivers suspected of
driving under the influence and are commonly referred to as breathalyzers. However,
they may also be done to job applicants or employees, minors, or those enrolled in
specific programs.
When Do I Need A Breath Alcohol Test?
When applying for a job, applicants may be required to be screened for drug and
alcohol use depending on state law and company policy. Companies that require breath
alcohol testing make it known upon hire that this is protocol. Many employers conduct
breath alcohol tests to make it clear to the applicants that they do not tolerate any kind
of alcohol abuse.
Most employers also use alcohol testing under specific circumstances, including:
- Reasonable suspicion of alcohol use on the job
- Post-accident if alcohol use is suspected as the cause of property or personal
damage
- Random testing
- United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Required Alcohol Testing
No matter your reason, AFC Revere will perform the test and ensure the
results are provided to the correct organization or person.
Who Administers A Breath Alcohol Test?
When you come to AFC Revere, one of our providers will administer your
Breath Alcohol Test. Our team will be able to make sure your test is administered
correctly and with ease.
What is the Breath Alcohol Test Limit?
Blood alcohol content (BAC) is the level of alcohol in your bloodstream. The legal limit
when driving in North Carolina is 0.08. According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation,
men must limit themselves to not more than two standard drinks in the first hour and
one drink per hour after that, and women should limit themselves to 1 standard drink per
hour.
The BAC limit for jobs that involves managing a motor vehicle like driving public or
heavy vehicles, operating machinery, commercial vessels or a mobile plant is zero
(0.00%).
The BAC limit for your specific application will be set by the organization or person
requiring the test.
Your BAC tends to affect your body as follows:
- BAC 0.02% to 0.03%, you may feel relaxed
- BAC 0.05% to 0.10%, you may have reduced muscle coordination, longer
reaction times, and impaired judgment and responses
Is The Breath Alcohol Test Accurate?
The Breath Alcohol Test may not always be accurate. Some things that can cause an
error in the reading are:
- If you had a drink 15 minutes before the test, trace amounts of alcohol in your
mouth could lead to an inaccurate high-level result.
- Smoking.
- Products that contain alcohol, like mouthwash and breath fresheners.
- Machine is out of calibration or needs new batteries.
- Software glitches.
No breath test is as accurate as a blood or urine test, so request a blood test if you think
your breath alcohol test is not accurate.
Things That Affect Breath Alcohol Content
How fast your BAC rises and how long it says that way depend on several things:
- Alcohol Consumed - It’s not just the number of drinks you’ve had but also how
strong they were and how fast you drank them. The more you drink each hour,
the faster your BAC rises.
- Your weight - The heavier you are, the more water you have in your body. The
more water, the more diluted the alcohol gets.
- Your gender - Men have higher levels of a stomach enzyme that helps break
down alcohol, so they process it faster. Women typically have less water and
more fat and hormonal changes that can affect the BAC.
- Food Consumption - A full stomach of high-protein foods slows the processing of
alcohol.
The alcohol content of exhaled air accurately reflects the alcohol content of the blood.