Stephanie was on medication for a cough when she was tested for alcohol levels using the PBT. Though she did not consume much alcohol,

what could be the possible reason for a high reading?

A. The device was faulty.

B. She exhaled Into the device mouthpiece superficially.

C. The medication contained molecules similar to ethanol.

D. Stephanie's lungs are infected

Question

Gilberto Humphrey

Chemistry

21 March, 17:04

Stephanie was on medication for a cough when she was tested for alcohol levels using the PBT. Though she did not consume much alcohol,

what could be the possible reason for a high reading?

A. The device was faulty.

B. She exhaled Into the device mouthpiece superficially.

C. The medication contained molecules similar to ethanol.

D. Stephanie's lungs are infected

+5

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Hannah Abbott · Answer 1

The reason why Stephanie - who does not consume alcohol but was medicated for coughing - had a high reading when she had her preliminary breath test (PBT) is because the medication contained molecules similar to ethanol (option C).

Explanation:

Breath alcohol content (BAC) is a measure that is performed through the use of special devices, such as the brethalizer, an analyzer for detecting blood alcohol in drivers. Ethanol is a volatile product that, when found in the blood, is partially eliminated by the airways.

The use of certain types of medications may cause a high reading on the breathalyzer because they contain ethanol. This is likely to have happened to Stephanie who was using a cough medicine - which usually has a low ethanol content - and got a positive reading on the breathalyzer.