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Medications That Can Impact on Your DWI Breathalyzer Test
If you were pulled over for DWI in Mecklenburg County, the police officer may have asked you to take a breathalyzer test. The purpose of this test is to determine whether your blood alcohol content (BAC) was over the legal limit of 0.08 percent and whether there was probable cause to arrest you for DWI. Unfortunately, the test results could have been positive even if you had not consumed alcohol. Our Charlotte DWI lawyer explains more below.
Medications That Can Cause False Breathalyzer Test Readings
When you agree to take a breathalyzer test, you are asked to blow into a small hand-held device that registers your BAC. There are a number of reasons that the test results may not be accurate, such as if the machine is not calibrated or the test is not administered properly. Your medications and other substances you ingested can also result in a false positive reading. Here are some medications and substances that can affect your test results:
- Asthma medications. Albuterol, salmeterol, budesonide, and similar medications under different brand names have been known to affect breathalyzer test results. Once these medicines are inhaled, they remain in a person’s airways longer than other medications.
- Over-the-counter medications. Nyquil, Vicks products, and other cold medications contain alcohol. These and other alcohol-containing medicines may cause a breathalyzer test to show a false positive result. If you consumed a large number of cough drops before your breathalyzer test, it also could have skewed the test results.
- Oral gels. Oral gels are used to treat the pain from canker sores and toothaches. However, one of its ingredients is Anbesol, a local anesthetic, which can cause a person to test positive for alcohol consumption.
- Mouthwashes and breath sprays. Some mouthwashes and breath sprays have a high alcohol content. If they are used before a breathalyzer test is administered, they can affect the test results.
Medical conditions, such as acid reflux and diabetes, and recent dental work, can also lead to a false positive test result.
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Simply being charged with DWI in North Carolina often results in your driver’s license being revoked for a minimum of 30 days. However, we can typically get your driving privileges reinstated almost immediately. We do this by either, first, challenging this civil license revocation, or second, getting you a limited driving privilege.
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Whether you realize it or not, a considerable amount of evidence exists regarding your DWI charge, much of which is vital to an effective defense of your case. We will review your court file, subpoena necessary documents, videos, and notes, and file the appropriate pretrial motions in a timely manner.
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As former prosecutors, we are aware of all the potential defenses that may be available to you. We do not automatically assume you intend to plead guilty and face the harsh consequences associated with a DWI conviction. We pledge we will examine every possible defense and take your case to trial if it is in your best interest.
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While it’s our goal to win every DWI case we have, it’s simply not possible for any attorney to win every time. If you are ultimately convicted of DWI, we will help you take every step possible to reduce the potential penalties, such as avoiding jail time, keeping you driving, reducing monetary costs, and more.
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