Diabetes and Field Sobriety Tests

Posted By Richard Lawson on Aug 27, 2010 5:07pm PDT

The Intoxilyzer 5000 is the device law enforcement uses in Georgia to detect alcohol in a suspected drunk drivers' breath. What most people do not know is that this device does not really measure alcohol. It actually uses infrared light beams which are absorbed by chemical compounds, including alcohol in the breath which contains the "methyl group" in its molecular structure. The more absorption one has, the higher the blood alcohol reading. The machine is set to just "assume" that the compound is likely alcohol. Surprisingly thousands of compounds can register as alcohol, with one of those being acetone.

When a diabetic experiences hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar levels, the symptoms are very similar to intoxication. Police officers have been known to mistakenly assume a driver is intoxicated, when in fact they have hypoglycemia. For example, a diabetic experiencing hypoglycemia may have a slow and slurred speech, poor balance, impaired motor abilities and may appear drowsy, flushed and disoriented. Hypoglycemia can even cause the diabetic to stagger, which may be mistaken for intoxication by a police officer. These symptoms are very similar to intoxication and as you may imagine, a person experiencing them will most likely fail the field sobriety tests.

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