Breathalyzer BAC test

A breath alcohol test is the simplest test we do. You blow into a breath testing device, and within moments it reports your breath alcohol concentration, which reflects how much alcohol is in your body at that moment. It is quick, painless and leaves no room for doubt about the present. Its limit is just as clear: it says nothing about yesterday.

What a breath test can and cannot tell you

• It can tell you whether alcohol is in the body right now, and roughly how much.
• It cannot tell you whether someone drank last night and has since sobered up. The body clears alcohol within hours, so a breath test taken the next afternoon will usually read zero.
• It does not detect drugs. Breath testing is for alcohol only.

That is why a breath test on its own is a narrow tool. It is excellent for confirming that someone is sober when they arrive for an appointment, a family event or a shift. It is weak at showing a pattern over days or weeks.

When breath testing makes sense

• Spot checks at an appointment

  Any time you come in for a urine test, a breath test can be added in seconds.

• Before a commitment that matters

  Some families ask for a breath test before a visit, a trip or a return home. A clean reading at the right moment can rebuild trust.

• Return to work

  Non DOT employers sometimes want a current alcohol reading as part of a return to work agreement.

• Together with EtG

  Breath covers the moment, EtG covers the days in between. This pair is the most common alcohol plan we set up.

When EtG is the better choice

If the question is whether someone has been drinking at all, an EtG alcohol test usually answers it better. EtG is a marker in urine that remains after alcohol has left the breath. Mayo Clinic Laboratories states it can be detected for up to 5 days at a 500 ng/mL cutoff, and research by Lowe and colleagues found that lower cutoffs pick up drinking at 72 hours and beyond. Compare that with a breath test, which only sees the hours after the last drink.

A good rule: use a breath test to answer “right now,” use EtG to answer “lately,” and use both if you need both answers.

Breath testing in person versus remote devices

Some people use a remote breathalyzer that connects to a phone and sends readings to a monitoring service. Those devices can be useful for frequent alcohol checks. In person breath testing is different in a few ways: a person sees the test happen, it can be combined with a urine drug screen at the same visit, and there is someone to talk to about the result. For an overview of every option, see our test types page. We compare the two approaches in detail on our page about alternatives to remote breathalyzers.

How a breath test works at Blackburn

1. Book or get notified. Testing is by appointment. On a random program you receive an electronic notice telling you when to come in.
2. Wait a few minutes before blowing. Avoid eating, drinking, smoking or using mouthwash right before the test. Alcohol in the mouth can affect a breath reading.
3. Take the test. You blow steadily into a fresh mouthpiece. The reading appears in moments.
4. Review and share. A coordinator records the result and shares it only with people you have authorized in writing.

Office testing is at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Outside those hours we can arrange testing at other Blackburn locations on the Westside, and mobile testing at your home or workplace is available for an additional fee.

If a reading is high

A high reading is a safety issue first. If someone tests positive, we will not let the conversation end at the number. We will talk about getting home safely and about what support could help. Very heavy drinking can be dangerous. If someone is confused, vomiting, breathing slowly or hard to wake, call 911.

The NIAAA’s Rethinking Drinking site offers clear, private tools for looking at drinking patterns. If you or someone you love wants to cut back or stop, your coordinator can also connect you with therapy and psychiatric care at Blackburn Clinical Services or one-on-one mentoring for accountability and structure.

What affects the cost

Breath tests are quick and are often added to another test at the same visit, which keeps costs down. Your total depends on how often you test, whether you combine breath with EtG or a urine drug screen, whether you need mobile testing, and whether written reports are needed for an attorney, court or employer.

Need more than testing?

Monitoring is the first step, not the last. If a result or a hard week tells you more help is needed, Blackburn can connect you to it.

• Therapy and psychiatry

  Assessment, therapy and psychiatric care at Blackburn Clinical Services.

  Visit Blackburn Clinical Services

• Sober living

  Structured sober living and sober apartments on the Westside through Blackburn Recovery Services.

  Visit Blackburn Recovery Services

• Mentoring

  One-on-one mentoring for accountability and structure, at work, at home and in daily life.

  Visit Blackburn Mentoring

• Scholarship help

  Treatment scholarships for people who need care and cannot cover the cost, through The Blackburn Foundation.

  Visit The Blackburn Foundation

Your monitoring coordinator can make the introduction.