Alcohol and appetizers seem to go hand in hand at bars, parties and at other events. People who drink usually like to break up the alcohol with a little food, either because they’re hungry or because they think that food will help to sober them up. The funny thing about these “tricks of the trade” when drinking is that the same beliefs are often associated with car breathalyzers and ignition interlock devices – those consequences that are a result of food not quite hitting the spot needed for sober driving.
Car breathalyzer myths are the same as sobriety myths – they’re just myths. Eating food after (or while) drinking doesn’t make your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) any lower. Food might slow down how fast you absorb alcohol, but, that doesn’t mean much when you’ve already had a few too many… and it really doesn’t matter when you’re about to use your car breathalyzer. You could still have a high BAC reading, despite feeling more sober from the food you’ve just eaten. Or, during a “rolling retest,” your BAC may catch up to you. The lesson here is that the car breathalyzer myth is false, and if you try to eat to “fool” your device, you’re going to lose.
It may be easy to grab a plate of nachos or a slice of pizza to help you feel more sober when you’re drinking, but if you try to drive, you’re still intoxicated and dangerous. Since you already have a car breathalyzer, the last thing you want to do is extend your time requirement or lose your privilege to drive all together. Alcohol and appetizers may go great together until the moment you try to drive, however, at the turn of your key, you’re quickly heading down a road to further drunk driving consequences.
Virginia ASAP: Ignition Interlock Requirements for Your Vehicle