Alcohol, Traffic, and Chemical Testing in the United States: A Résumé and Some Remaining Problems

1974 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
M F Mason ◽  
K M Dubowski
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Venous Blood ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Breath Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Traffic Law Enforcement ◽  
Chemical Testing

Abstract We give a résumé of "chemical testing" for alcohol in the United States in connection with traffic-law enforcement. Recent procedural and instrumental developments are briefly reviewed. Various factors involved in discrepancies between the results of analyses of near-simultaneous venous blood and breath specimens from the same subject are examined. Because the causes of these discrepancies cannot adequately be controlled in law-enforcement practice, we suggest that calculation of a blood-alcohol concentration based on the result of a breath analysis be abandoned. We recommend that when breath analysis is performed for law-enforcement purposes, the interpretation of the result should be statutorily based on the amount of alcohol found per unit volume of alveolar ("deep-lung") air. Serum or plasma of capillary blood is recommended as the sample when blood is to be analyzed.

scholarly journals Perceptions of alcohol-impaired driving and the blood alcohol concentration standard in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 ◽  
pp. 73-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Eby ◽  
Lisa J. Molnar ◽  
Lidia P. Kostyniuk ◽  
Renée M. St. Louis ◽  
Nicole Zanier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Impaired Driving ◽  
Alcohol Impaired Driving

Accuracy and precision of breath alcohol measurements for subjects in the absorptive state.

1987 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 753-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Venous Blood ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Maximum Error ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Breath Alcohol ◽  
Accuracy And Precision ◽  
Breath Alcohol Concentration

Abstract Published data are analyzed in order to estimate the accuracy of breath-alcohol measurements for subjects during absorption of orally ingested ethanol. Simultaneous measurements of breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) and venous blood alcohol concentration (VBAC) show that actual VBAC can be overestimated by more than 100% for a significant amount of time after drinking stops. The maximum error found for four individual subjects is +230%, +190%, +60%, and +30%. The magnitude of these errors indicates that results from quantitative evidential breath alcohol analyzers are far less accurate for the absorptive state than they are during the postabsorptive state, but the specifications for accuracy and precision given by manufacturers of these instruments do not reflect this. The results also indicate that there is a significant likelihood that subjects will be in the absorptive state when tested under field conditions. I conclude that estimates of BAC based on BrAC measurements are not reliable in the absorptive state and that the uncertainty associated with such estimates should be accounted for, particularly when the results are used in connection with law enforcement.

scholarly journals Stakeholder perceptions of lowering the blood alcohol concentration standard in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (12) ◽  
pp. 757-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa J. Molnar ◽  
David W. Eby ◽  
Lidia P. Kostyniuk ◽  
Renée M. St. Louis ◽  
Nicole Zanier
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Stakeholder Perceptions

ALCOHOL LEVELS IN BODY FLUIDS AFTER INGESTION OF DISTILLED SPIRITS

1959 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. B. Coldwell ◽  
H. Ward Smith
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Venous Blood ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Weighted Average ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Distilled Spirits ◽  
The Relationship

Known volumes of 70-proof distilled spirits were fed to 68 volunteers, making a total of 141 separate doses. The amount of alcohol appearing in the venous blood, saliva, and urine at various time intervals after ingestion was determined by a modified Widmark method, and in the breath by the Breathalyzer. The relationship between time after ingestion, venous blood alcohol concentration (VBA), and Breathalyzer reading (BR) was as follows:(1) between 0.5 and 2.5 hours after ingestion, VBA = (BR + 0.048) ± 0.124 mg/ml;(2) between 30 to 40 minutes after ingestion, VBA = (BR − 0.071) ± 0.065 mg/ml;(3) between 2 to 2.5 hours after ingestion, VBA = (BR + 0.102) ± 0.117 mg/ml. The weighted average ratios of saliva and urine alcohols to venous blood alcohol were 1.12:1 and 1.24:1, respectively. The standard error of estimating the venous blood alcohol indirectly from the saliva alcohol was ±0.075 mg/ml, and from urine alcohol ±0.081 mg/ml when the samples were obtained from 0.5 to 2.5 and from 0.75 to 2.5 hours after drinking, respectively. Over the range of concentrations studied alcohol disappeared from the venous blood at the rate of 0.13 ±0.05 mg/ml/hr and the quantity eliminated from the whole body, per 100 lb of body weight per hour, approximated 0.4 fl. oz of 70-proof distilled spirits.

Trends in Cannabis Involvement and Risk of Alcohol Involvement in Motor Vehicle Crash Fatalities in the United States, 2000‒2018

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e10
Author(s):  
Marlene C. Lira ◽  
Timothy C. Heeren ◽  
Magdalena Buczek ◽  
Jason G. Blanchette ◽  
Rosanna Smart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crash ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Vehicle Crash ◽  
Alcohol Involvement

Objectives. To assess cannabis and alcohol involvement among motor vehicle crash (MVC) fatalities in the United States. Methods. In this repeated cross-sectional analysis, we used data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 2000 to 2018. Fatalities were cannabis-involved if an involved driver tested positive for a cannabinoid and alcohol-involved based on the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of an involved driver. Multinomial mixed-effects logistic regression models assessed cannabis as a risk factor for alcohol by BAC level. Results. While trends in fatalities involving alcohol have remained stable, the percentage of fatalities involving cannabis and cannabis and alcohol increased from 9.0% in 2000 to 21.5% in 2018, and 4.8% in 2000 to 10.3% in 2018, respectively. In adjusted analyses, fatalities involving cannabis had 1.56 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.48, 1.65), 1.62 (95% CI = 1.52, 1.72), and 1.46 (95% CI = 1.42, 1.50) times the odds of involving BACs of 0.01% to 0.049%, 0.05% to 0.079%, and 0.08% or higher, respectively. Conclusions. The percentage of fatalities involving cannabis and coinvolving cannabis and alcohol doubled from 2000 to 2018, and cannabis was associated with alcohol coinvolvement. Further research is warranted to understand cannabis- and alcohol-involved MVC fatalities. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 28, 2021:e1–e10. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306466 )

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Ethanol Concentration in Costal Cartilage in Relation to Blood and Urine

Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1637
Author(s):  
Marcin Tomsia ◽  
Joanna Nowicka ◽  
Rafał Skowronek ◽  
Magdalena Woś ◽  
Joanna Wójcik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethanol Concentration ◽  
Costal Cartilage ◽  
Venous Blood ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Roc Curves ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Polish Law

Blood is not always available in forensic autopsies, therefore, the search for alternative sampling materials is needed. This study aimed at examining if ethanol can be detected in costal cartilage and to investigate if different forms of costal cartilage can give accurate information about ethanol concentration in the blood or urine of human cadavers (n = 50). Ethanol concentration in samples of unground costal cartilage (UCC), ground costal cartilage (GCC), femoral venous blood, and urine was analyzed using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Due to Polish law, we used two different cut-off points: the blood alcohol concentration >0.2 mg/mL defined as the ‘after use’ condition, and the blood alcohol concentration >0.5 mg/mL defined as the ‘state of insobriety’. Based on the constructed receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves, the optimal cut-off point for ethanol content as the ‘after use’ condition was 0.273 mg/g for the UCC method and 0.069 mg/g for the GCC method. Analysis of the Areas under a ROC Curve (AUC) showed that both methods present excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUCUCC = 0.903; AUCGCC = 0.984). We demonstrated that it is possible to detect ethanol in the costal cartilage and showed that ethanol concentrations are determined in GCC samples with greater accuracy.

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