{"id":201534,"date":"2026-02-07T18:31:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T18:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/some-people-can-test-positive-on-a-breathalyzer-without-drinking-alcohol-heres-why\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T18:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T18:31:08","slug":"some-people-can-test-positive-on-a-breathalyzer-without-drinking-alcohol-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/some-people-can-test-positive-on-a-breathalyzer-without-drinking-alcohol-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Some People Can Test Positive on a Breathalyzer Without Drinking Alcohol \u2013 Here\u2019s Why"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Although it may seem crazy, failing a breathalyzer test after drinking only water and a plate of pasta is possible. While explaining this to a police officer may raise eyebrows, the truth is that it is a medical reality<\/a> for individuals suffering from self-fermentation syndrome<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Investigation<\/h2>\n

Until now, this phenomenon was primarily attributed to yeast. However, a groundbreaking study by researchers from UC San Diego and Massachusetts General Hospital has identified<\/a> specific strains of Escherichia coli<\/em> and Klebsiella pneumoniae<\/em> that are responsible for generating intoxicating levels of ethanol in the intestine<\/a>. This discovery opens the door to surprising treatments, such as fecal transplantation. In essence, there are bacteria that can make us intoxicated without consuming alcohol.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Metabolic Storm<\/h2>\n

The study involved analyzing 22 patients diagnosed with self-fermentation syndrome and comparing their results with 21 healthy relatives. Fecal samples from the affected patients were capable of producing ethanol at alarming levels during the analysis<\/a>. In fact, one sample indicated an ethanol concentration of up to 136 mg\/dl, which is alarming given that many countries have a legal driving limit of around 50 mg\/dl. This means these individuals could be legally considered intoxicated without ever having a drink.<\/p>\n

An Alcohol Factory<\/h2>\n

The study\u2019s innovation lies in shifting the focus from yeast to bacteria, revealing a significant increase in genes responsible for mixed acid fermentation. However, it’s important to note that the issue does not stem from inherently ‘bad’ bacteria. Instead, a disrupted gut ecosystem is to blame, primarily triggered by the use of antibiotics<\/a>. These medications can wipe out the balanced flora in the gut, allowing opportunistic pathogens to dominate and metabolize sugars into alcohol.<\/p>\n

The Treatment<\/h2>\n

This issue poses serious health risks\u2014not only due to the possibility of testing positive on alcohol tests, but also due to the toxicity that the body encounters<\/a>. Current treatment focuses on fecal microbiota transplantation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For this particular case, the transplant donor was a personal trainer with a healthy gut. Remarkably, after the procedure, the patient experienced a permanent cessation of their “self-producing” alcohol capability by repopulating their intestine with healthy bacteria.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n \"If\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Beyond Getting Drunk<\/h2>\n

While it may seem appealing to achieve a feeling of intoxication without spending money on drinks, the reality is that this condition can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Chronic alcohol production can inflict severe liver damage.<\/p>\n

Socially, individuals suffering from self-fermentation syndrome have faced the unfair repercussions of losing their driving licenses or experiencing job-related issues. Ultimately, what may appear to be a convenient excuse is actually a significant medical condition requiring awareness and understanding.<\/p>\n

Images | Lawrence Krowdeed<\/a><\/p>\n

In Xataka | There is an age at which we should stop drinking alcohol forever. Neuroscience is clear why.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n
General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Although it may seem crazy, failing a breathalyzer test after drinking only water and a plate of pasta is possible. While explaining this to a police officer may raise eyebrows, the truth is that it is a medical reality for individuals suffering from self-fermentation syndrome. The Investigation Until now, this phenomenon was primarily attributed to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":201535,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[661,22261,2463,18278,438,4442,2254],"class_list":["post-201534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-alcohol","tag-breathalyzer","tag-drinking","tag-heres","tag-people","tag-positive","tag-test"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=201534"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":201536,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/201534\/revisions\/201536"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/201535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=201534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=201534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=201534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}