Mouthwash? How high a reading?

[tarp]

OK,

The experts are assembled. I can't help myself - I hate having that trenchmouth feeling in the morning. If I can't get breakfast (numerous 0530 reports without a chance to get any food or caffeine), I usually do a morning swish to clean up the breath.

So in thrity minutes I'm in the cockpit doing preflight and engine start. What is MY breathalizer going to show? Would I be able to get the engines started with Mary's new gizmo?

By the way the usual suspects are Scope (minty fresh) or Listermint. Am I going to have to subject the crew (and myself) to morning breath to keep from being hauled off?

 

[bobbysamd]

Mouthwash

Better not use that Stop & Shop mouthwash, either, if you're in the BDL area. It's a dead ringer for Scope and looks a lot like creme d'menthe!

Can always use old fashioned Listerine. Dentine?

 

[TurboS7]

I just found out that toothpaste is poison, check the label, how many time have I put some toothpaste in my mouth then swallowed it as I had no where to spit. Now we have poisoned pilots going to work....

 

[mar]

Seriously: Mouthwash and your BAC

I've never tested it but this is my understanding.

Mouthwash does contain alcohol and some is absorbed when you swish it around in your mouth--but you spit it out right? Not like some of us who swallow toothpaste...

If you were to blow a breathalizer immediately after you spit out the mouthwash you would probably test positive for alcohol.

But if that's the case, I'm told, just wait 10 or 15 minutes and then the residual alcohol should be gone. A subsequent test should be negative.

So showing up to work 30 minutes after you spit out the mouthwash should be no problem.

I'm guessing the pilot who claimed to have used mouthwash was up two hours prior to his departure time. That's some strong mouthwash!

Or maybe he's a swallower and not a spitter.

 

[Dep676]

Like was posted before. If you were to blow right after you used mouth wash it might so up a little. But not 30 minutes later. When we stop someone and suspect they have been drinking we wait 15 minutes at the min. before having them blow in the PBT. So mouth wash isn't even a issue especially to get you to a .08 or higher. I think the only mouth wash he was using was good old JD.

 

[surv1]

When I got Intoxilyzer state certified a couple of years ago, we did exactly that test during the course, and I registered a .46 (not.046, .46) 5 minutes after swigging mouthwash.

 

[tarp]

Let's see -

.46 right after the gargle.

I spit (even though this sounds too personal for the web).

And I'll guess that the nice police officers will allow me to re-test in 15 minutes or honor my request for a "blood" test to "clear" the matter.

Thanks for the input. Many innocent crewmembers may be thanking you for your response. And maybe I will start carrying some Dentine.

 

[SpiderMan]

The problem is when you use scotch for mouthwash.

 

[bobbysamd]

Mouthwash addendum

Stay away from the Safeway store brand. It, too, looks like creme d'menthe.