If a diabetic is experiencing hypoglycemia, they can appear drunk and even wrongly fail a breath test for DUI.
There may be no group of people with a higher risk of wrongful DUI arrest than diabetics. Depending on the form of diabetes, many diabetics have the potential to go into a state of hypoglycemia, or dangerously low blood sugar. During this state, they can appear drunk and even fail a breath test for DUI—even if they are actually sober.
How can a diabetic fail a breath test?
During hypoglycemia, your body may enter a state called ketoacidosis. This is a metabolic state where the body gets energy by breaking down its fat reserves (normally, the body gets energy from blood sugar). This state produces a high level of compounds called ketones in the blood.
When you take a breath test, the testing device uses infrared light to scan the chemical composition of your breath. It’s looking for ethyl alcohol, but it also picks up ketones by accident. A high ketone level can cause you to get a falsely high BAC result. The same thing can happen to people who eat a low carb, high protein diet.
Other Complications
For a diabetic, there are complicating factors:
- Diabetics experiencing hypoglycemia may seem disoriented, they may stagger, and they may have a hard time speaking. This can be mistaken for drunkenness.
- If you consumed alcohol, you are at higher risk of hypoglycemia. So even if you drank a very small amount, your breath test result could be very high.
Have you been charged with DUI? We can connect you with an experienced Los Angeles DUI lawyer and get you a FREE consultation. Fill out the form to the right or call (310) 896-2724 and get your free consultation today.
