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Originally Posted by Redlemon
Did anyone here see that Mythbusters episode when they were trying to beat the Brethalyzer machine? I was stunned to see how much they had to drink before they reached 0.08. My sympathy level for people caught DWI dropped from "almost none" to "absolutely none" after seeing that. You know that you are drinking. Don't drive.
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I never saw that episode, but I'm curious, how long did they wait after they downed their drinks to try the Brethalyzer machine? It takes time for your body to absorb any alcohol you consume into your blood stream, and then come back out in your breath. The Breathalyzer isn't measuring alcohol that's "left over" in your mouth/tongue, etc when you drink, but rather it's measuring alcohol that comes out of your pores/bloodstream in your mouth.
So, if you drink, say 5 drinks all within 5 minutes, then rinse your mouth out with water and take a Breathalyzer test, you'll show next to nothing in the test. Wait 30 minutes, though, then you'll be sky high.
I am by no means sympathizing with those with DWI's, or saying that the BAC limit is unnecssarily lenient, but I just absolutely can't stand bad science used to "prove" a point. Not saying that what Mythbusters did was bad science, but the possibility definitely exists with a show like that, IMHO.