You went out to eat with friends and made sure you didn’t drink, because you had to be the one to drive home sober. Not long after you started your trek home, you noticed that you weren’t feeling quite right. Shortly thereafter, a police officer pulled you over to the side of the road.
He asked you to complete a Breathalyzer test. You agreed, because you knew you hadn’t had a drink tonight. You were shocked when the results came back over .08 percent.
How could this happen?
Interestingly, you can get drunk from eating food made with alcohol. That fancy dinner you had was cooked in wine. That wine didn’t cook off like you were told it would. In fact, so much of your food was cooked in alcohol that you left with a buzz.
It is a myth that alcohol cooks off when food is prepared. Eating just a few dishes, including appetizers, which are cooked in alcohol could lead to a positive Breathalyzer test. You are especially likely to have a high alcohol level in your blood if you had not eaten before the meal. Most people don’t eat before dinner, so any food you ingest with alcohol will go straight into your bloodstream.
Fortunately, you can defend yourself if this happens. The old myth is strong among the population, and you may be able to prove that you didn’t drink alcohol with witness testimonies and your receipts from dinner. With the right evidence, you may be able to have any charges against you dismissed and your name cleared.
Source: Business Insider, “Yes, you can get drunk eating food made with alcohol,” Erin Brodwin, accessed July 27, 2017