Health Information
Self-Test for Breath Alcohol
Why It Is Done
The breath alcohol self-test is used to estimate your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). The results can help you decide whether it is safe to drive. This estimate of blood alcohol is not intended to represent your actual driving abilities. Your driving may be impaired even with a low BAC level, such as below 0.05.
The breath alcohol test offers one piece of information to help you make a safe decision about drinking and driving. The safest decision is always not to drive if you have been drinking.
BAC is commonly used by police and other legal authorities to determine whether a person is legally impaired and should not drive. A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) 0.08 or greater is considered legally impaired for adults in the United States. But the legal BAC limit for people under age 18 may be lower, such as 0.02.
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