Citation

Wigmore JG, Bugyra IM. J. Can. Soc. Forensic Sci. 2003; 36(4): 211-216.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Canadian Society of Forensic Science, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00085030.2003.10757563

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The retention of alcohol in the oral cavity (the mouth alcohol effect) is a major limitation of breath alcohol testing and requires a wait of 15 to 20 minutes. Currently the only method to reduce this effect is to rinse the mouth with water. In this study, the mouth alcohol effect was found to be substantially decreased by increasing the salivary flow rate. Nineteen female and 11 male alcohol-free subjects on two occasions rinsed their mouths with 20 mL of diluted vodka (20% v/v) for 20 seconds and then expectorated. The subjects kept their mouths closed and provided breath samples into an Intoxilyzer® 5000C five and ten minutes after expectoration with and without chewing one piece of sugar-free gum (a salivary flow promoter). The subjects chewed the gum for five minutes, then removed the gum and provided the breath samples. On the other occasion, the subjects did not chew gum. The mean Intoxilyzer® results (± Standard Error of the Mean (SEM)) after 5 minutes were 0.155 (± 0.012) g/210 L with no gum and 0.022 (± 0.003) g/210 L after chewing gum. Chewing gum caused a mean percent decrease in the BrAC due to the mouth alcohol effect of 85 (± 1.6)% after five minutes. After 10 minutes an Intoxilyzer® result > 0.010 g/210 L was found in 27 subjects (90%) when they did not chew gum, compared to none (0%) when gum was chewed. Increasing the salivary flow rate causes a large reduction in the magnitude and duration of the mouth alcohol effect. The use of salivary flow promoters may allow for more rapid breath alcohol testing after the last consumption of alcohol.