30September, 2015

Hand Sanitizers used by operators can cause false positives on breathalyzers as high as .119

Physicians Weekly reported in its May 1, 2013 issue that hand sanitizers caused significant false positives in controlled studies when used by breathalyzer operators. The DUI Breath test subjects had consumed no alcohol and had registered 0.0 immediately before testing. After the operators applied hand sanitizer, these test subjects tested as high as 0.119. Breathalyzers are commonly used by Emergency Room personnel and law enforcement as preliminary breath testing devices to determine if someone is impaired by alcohol. The legal limit in Georgia for Per Se DUI drivers is 0.08 within 3 hours of driving.