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What is mouth alcohol?
 How reliable are those
breath tests?
"Mouth alcohol" refers to the existence of
any alcohol in the mouth or esophagus. If
this is present during a breath test, then
the results will be falsely high. This is
because the breath machine assumes that the
breath is from the lungs; for complex
physiological reasons, its internal computer
multiplies the amount of alcohol by 2100.
Thus, even a tiny amount of alcohol breathed
directly into the machine from the mouth or
throat rather than from the lungs can have a
significant impact.
Mouth alcohol can be caused in many ways.
Belching, burping, hiccupping or vomiting
within 20 minutes before taking the test can
bring vapor from alcoholic beverages still
in the stomach up into the mouth and throat.
Taking a breath freshener can send a
machine's reading way up (such products as
Binaca and Listerine have alcohol in them);
cough syrups and other products also contain
alcohol.
Dental bridges and dental caps can
trap alcohol. Blood in the mouth from an
injury is yet another source of inaccurate
breath test results: breathed into the
mouthpiece, any alcohol in the blood will be
multiplied 2100 times. A chronic "reflux"
condition from gastric distress or a hiatal
hernia can cause elevated BAC readings. | 
