Woman registers a .47 on breath tester

[Bungleau]

From Yahoo News...

REDMOND, Wash. - A Woodinville woman arrested following two car crashes last week registered a .47 blood-alcohol content on a breath test — nearly six times the legal intoxication threshold and possibly a state record. Deana F. Jarrett, 54, was taken to Evergreen Hospital as a precaution following her arrest April 11, the Washington State Patrol said Wednesday. No one was injured in the accidents. Jarrett blew the .47 on a portable breath tester after she collided with two other vehicles in quick succession, the patrol said. A check of all 356,000 breath tests administered since 1998 in Washington turned up only 35 above .40 — and none of those was higher than .45. The legal intoxication threshold in Washington is .08. Jarrett did not appear to have a listed phone number, and it was not clear if she had obtained a lawyer.

I'm.... impressed, in a negative way. I know I could google it, but does anyone know what the fatal alcohol level is?

[Jorath Calar]

I don't remember but last year I read about an Estonian Truckdriver who was seven times above it, when he was stopped by the police... he should have been dead the police said but was surprisingly upbeat...

[Havock]

While I am quite sure that this person was smashed , there are otherways to have a high bac on the breath test. Useing mouthwash or eating mint candies to hide the smell of booze will send you off the charts on the breath test because both have alcohol in them. Ironic isn't it.

BTW, I hope they take away her license for good. She could have killed someone.

[Bungleau]

Mythbusters took a look at trying to beat the breathalyzer and found nothing worked. They did find, though, that some things can give higher readings... time for another episode on how to appear drunk without being drunk [img]graemlins/cheers.gif[/img]

They didn't quite send things off the charts (not the doubling effect that people have noted elsewhere), but did see rises of .01 to .04... which could seem like doubling.

In any case, it won't work [img]graemlins/nono.gif[/img]

[johnny]

[img]graemlins/jawdrop.gif[/img]


I think i'm in love.

[Dron_Cah]

Originally posted by Bungleau: I'm.... impressed, in a negative way. I know I could google it, but does anyone know what the fatal alcohol level is?

By most sources, a BAC of .40 or higher usually indicates a comatose victim, and possible death. Of course, different people will be affected differently.

[Aerich]

A blood alcohol content of .3-.35 generally will render a non-drinker comatose. I've seen a heavy drinker pass out shortly after registering a .26.

Severe alcoholics can be apparently functional in the high .40s.

Taking a swig of alcohol just before doing a breath test can lead to elevated levels - I've had the opportunity to play around with a breathalyzer, and a single drink taken right before the blow can give a boost of about .15.

However, general police procedure for the test is to make sure the person does not drink or belch for at least 20 minutes before the test is taken; therefore, that's one HIGH blood alcohol level IF the test was administered correctly. However, seeing as it was a roadside device, it may have been a false reading. Further, roadside testers are notoriously inaccurate if they are not maintained and calibrated on a regular basis.

[Marty4]

That's just crazy. How much do you figure that is to drink?

[Aerich]

A lot. Maybe a mickey or two.

BAC (blood alcohol content) at any given time can be affected by factors other than just alcohol intake (e.g. food, dehydration, size, gender, metabolic rate), but by any measure that is a lot. If that reading is accurate, she is guaranteed to be an alcoholic, as most people would not be conscious with that BAC.