How Long Does Alcohol Stay On Your Breath?

You drink a few drinks at the bar. After that, you eat and drink. Make sure you’re alert and able to drive home safely before you start your journey. Jump in your car and start the journey. A few minutes later, you see red and blue lights flashing in the rearview mirror of your car.

Is it time to panic? If a police officer sees you leaving a bar and suspects you are under the influence, what would you do? Is it a good idea to take a breathalyzer if you’re asked to? What is the average amount of time that alcohol stays on your breath and in your body after drinking? Here are the facts.

You Don’t Break Down Alcohol Right Away After Drinking It

After drinking, your body doesn’t immediately digest the alcohol. As a matter of fact, it is metabolized differently than other foods and beverages. Approximately 20 percent of the alcohol you ingest goes directly into your blood vessels when you take a sip. As a result, they are delivered directly to your brain, where they begin to have an impact.

Another 80 percent is absorbed into the small intestine and then into the blood. The liver processes your blood and removes it after it circulates.

How Long Does It Take For Alcohol To Be Metabolized?

Depending on the situation. Several factors come into play. Among them are your age, weight, and gender. Likewise, any food you’ve eaten is important as well as the type of alcohol you’ve consumed. In general, experts agree that it takes an hour for your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) to drop by .015.

For example, suppose you ordered four 16-ounce beers at the bar. After you finished them, it took about two hours. A male weighing 175 pounds would have a BAC of .09 percent. If you decide to drive home after that, you could be charged with a DUI.

Is it possible to drop your BAC to a level considered safe in a reasonable amount of time? At .09 percent, your blood alcohol content is at an unsafe level. As a result, you would have to wait at least an hour before driving. You’ll probably have a BAC of .075 by that point.

It is important to note that even if your BAC is slightly elevated and an officer determines that you are not able to drive safely, you can still face DUI charges.

You Can Smell Alcohol For A Day After Drinking

If you drink more alcohol, it will last longer in your system. Alcohol can be detected in the breath if it is present in your blood. Alcohol can generally be detected on your breath for up to 24 hours after you’ve stopped drinking.

This is considerably shorter than the time needed for blood and urine tests. You can detect alcohol in your urine up to 80 hours after you finish depending on the type of test. EtG tests can detect alcohol for days after you’ve had a drink, while ethanol tests typically detect it for up to 12 hours after drinking.

Alcohol can be detected in blood up to 36 hours – or 3 days – after you’ve stopped drinking. Up to three months after you’ve consumed alcohol, you can detect traces of alcohol in your hair. Nevertheless, the earlier the test is conducted, the more likely it is to be accurate and reliable.

Do I Have To Take A Breath Test In Georgia?

In Georgia, the law states that when you drive on state roads, you have given your “implied consent” to be tested for alcohol. A police officer can pull you over if they notice signs of intoxication and ask you to submit to a breath test or field sobriety test. The signs of driving while intoxicated are recklessness, swerving, failure to maintain lane, and speeding.

A Georgia officer can test your blood alcohol concentration in a couple of ways if you are pulled over for a DUI felony. Field breath tests are the fastest method. They are also known as breathalyzers. Georgia uses the Intoxilyzer 5000 as the standard test. Invented in the 1970s, the Intoxilyzer 5000 is still in use today. Georgia still uses the same technology as other states that have upgraded to a newer model. This device allows officers to use it on the spot instead of waiting until they get back to the police station. Despite the fact that it is the most common, it is not always the most accurate. The readings of the device can be affected by a number of factors. The results are used by police to calculate your blood alcohol level. However, the police investigation only uses the result to determine whether there is probable cause to arrest you.

As to which tests are voluntary and which are state-mandated, there is a great deal of confusion. In the field, a chemical breath test does not have the same effect as the requirement to submit to a chemical test when arrested for DUI. Blood alcohol levels can be incorrectly measured with field breath tests or breathalyzers, which are not required. A police officer may, however, request that you submit to a chemical test after you are arrested for DUI. You will be denied a limited driving permit if you refuse, and your license will be administratively suspended for a year.

What Are Your Options if You Submitted or Refused the Georgia Breath Test?

Driving under the influence of alcohol in Georgia involves a complex science. If you are charged with DUI in Georgia, you need an experienced attorney. Experts in this field gather expert witnesses, analyze all the evidence, and present you with all your options.

We have already reviewed the topic “How long will Alcohol Show Up in the Urine Drug Tests?” which might interest you.