Who Can Demand a Breath Alcohol Test?
An alcohol and drug-free workplace is often highly enforced in many professions. If an employer or a law official believes that you are impaired from drinking alcohol, then you may be ordered for court-ordered drug testing and/or a breath test. This simple test requires you to breathe into a device that will measure the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream. It is much less invasive than blood or hair drug testing.
Your body’s digestive system begins to absorb alcoholic beverages almost immediately and within 15 minutes, it is possible to use a breathalyzer test to determine how much alcohol you have consumed.
Accidents at Work or Odd Behavior Can Lead to a Breathalyzer Test
When you are injured at work or involved in an accident, your employer or a law official can demand this type of test to learn if your body’s reactions were affected by alcohol. If you behave oddly at work or become involved in a physical altercation, then an employer may request an immediate medical evaluation for drug and alcohol testing.
Some employers have the legal right to demand this type of alcohol testing at any time as part of a routine drug testing program to maintain proper safety protocols at a workplace or in a public area. At an urgent care center, we can provide alcohol testing services to patients in only a few minutes.
What Happens When a Breathalyzer Test Is Positive?
If a patient’s breath test for alcohol is positive, then it is important to collect a blood or urine sample for additional testing. In some cases, a breath alcohol test can give a false reading when an individual has a health condition such as diabetes mellitus or hypoglycemia. High levels of acid in the mouth from belching, vomiting or having gastroesophageal reflux disease can also change the results of a breathalyzer test for alcohol consumption. When an individual is taking certain types of prescription medications, it is also possible to have an inaccurate reading from a breath alcohol test or urinary drug test.
What Are the Most Common Occupations that Require Breath Alcohol Testing?
The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is responsible for approving the devices used for breath alcohol testing procedures. Some of the most common types of job occupations that can require routine or emergency breath alcohol testing include:
- Airline pilots
- Delivery drivers
- Bus drivers
- Semi truck drivers
- Watercraft operators
- Taxicab drivers
- Educational institution personnel
- Medical facility employees
In some cases, you will require a pre-employment alcohol blood test after you have received a job offer. Employees in the Department of Transportation require regular DOT drug testing and a DOT breath alcohol test. If required by your employer, we can conduct urine testing and a blood alcohol test at the same appointment.
Come into WellCare
We provide breath alcohol tests for patients who are impaired when they come into our center or for employers who need to use it for their employees. If you or someone you know have been drinking, we can help to know the state they are at through this testing. Come into WellCare Urgent Care Center to learn more about drug tests in Grand Rapids, MI. We accept walk-in appointments and online bookings at our Cascade and Leonard locations.
