e-cigarettes & breathalyzer

[providence]

I am a drinker and I don't like the idea of driving drunk so I bought for myself a good breathalyzer that I always use before driving home. I never drive if I'm .08, I wait until I'm below it. However, the booklet states that in order for the breathalyzer to be accurate I cannot have had anything to eat, drink, or smoke for 20 minutes before taking it.
This is because most breath analyzing devices will falsely report acetaldehyde as alcohol. Scientists have found acetaldehyde concentrations in the lungs of smokers are far greater than for non-smokers.
I was wondering if anyone knew for sure if my e-cigarette fell under those qualificatons or not.
I know for most people they'd say I was being silly, but I want to make sure I get an accurate reading. Sometimes it really is a pain in the rear not to vape for 20 minutes, especially if i've got nothing else to do. right now, I don't vape for the 20 minutes just to be safe but was curious if anyone knew a real answer to this question.
No judgments or accusations please, just the answer if you know it.

 

[Wormwood]

you should test it out. I say wait 20 minutes and do the test, try to bear with it then after that vape a bit, see if the meter changes, eh?

 

[WonderfulMe]

Thanks for the info, I had no idea smoking could up levels and cause me to fail a breathalyzer. I'll remember that next time I get pulled over (to be safe, I never drive if I've had more than one drink) I'd like to know about e-cigs too!

 

[MrsJaaxx]

Try it first thing in the morning, on a morning when you had no alcohol the night before and you know that you should blow a zero.

And sorry, you get a judgment anyway from me, but it's a good judgment. I think it is very admirable that you refuse to drive drunk and take steps to make sure that you don't do it inadvertently. Kudos!

 

[providence]

Thanks for the info, I had no idea smoking could up levels and cause me to fail a breathalyzer. I'll remember that next time I get pulled over (to be safe, I never drive if I've had more than one drink) I'd like to know about e-cigs too!

Well, the little known secret is that the field sobriety tests aren't really for any meaningful purpose, they are simply to buy time until the officer can safely give you a breathalyzer test. Otherwise you could claim you had used mouth wash, smoked, or done anything that would leave chemicals in your mouth that would alter the test. Essentially, field sobriety tests are just to buy time so the officer can claim to have witnessed you ingested nothing 20 minutes prior to the test,