myCAMprogram - Bonus Material: Chapter 5

Articles for participants in the myCAMprogram

This section of Counterpoint is only available to participants in the myCAMprogram.
This page is for Chapter 5. 
Note that there are NO additional articles available as supplemental reading for Chapters 6 & 7.
Feel free to send us any question you may have. A link for questions and comments is available at the bottom of each article.

Chapter 5: Navigating Challenges

This chapter is supported by the following articles:

Lesson 2: Breath Testing Contamination Risks

Article 2-1

Breath samples contaminated by substances other than beverage alcohol constitute one of the most frequently encountered error messages generated during CAM program breath alcohol testing. Staying compliant with the terms of your monitoring means you need to know and understand the risks of various items or conditions that lead to false positive results.

Article 2-2

What are the effects if you were smoking a cigarette (or worse, an e-cigarette) before you provide a breath sample? Perhaps just a few minutes elapsed from the time of smoking until the first breath test. Residual tobacco or e-liquid residue would be present in your mouth during the Ignition Interlock or Preliminary Breath Test. Would there be enough time for the residual tobacco residue in their mouth to dissipate? What effects are caused by that contamination?

Article 2-3

ANY oral contamination can adversely affect the breath test results, and chewing tobacco is one of the most notorious culprits in this regard. Proper breath testing protocols dictate that all possible sources of contaminate should be eliminated prior to beginning the wait and deprivation period in order to receive breath samples that are truly suitable for analysis. This, by necessity, includes ridding the mouth of any residual chewing tobacco, and should include rinsing the mouth with fresh water.

Lesson 4: Diabetes & Prediabetes

Article 4-1

This article will address the medical condition of Diabetes. The follow up article in Part 2 will discuss how the diabetic condition may impact the reliability of reported breath alcohol concentrations,

Article 4-2

In part one of this series, we discussed Diabetes Mellitus, a chronic metabolic disease that reduces or eliminates the body’s natural production of insulin in the pancreas. In this article, we will look at the effects that diabetes may have on a breath alcohol test. You may wish to review the metabolic processes of diabetes (and fasting diets) before continuing with this article.

Lesson 5: Ketosis, Ketogenic Diets, & Alcohol Monitoring

Article 5-1

It has long been held that the ketogenic diet may falsely elevate the reported results of a breath alcohol test. What effect will ketogenic conditions have on an electrochemical fuel cell? Will it introduce enough interferent chemicals or other sources of corruption in sufficient quantities to provide a false-positive reading? ​

Lesson 6: GLP-1 Receptor Agonists, Ketones, & Alcohol Monitoring

Article 6-1

In the past five years, several new drugs have been brought to market that could lead to a profound, if not revolutionary, change in how health care providers – and the public – view weight loss. This article examines the use of GLP-1 medications.

Article 6-2

​This is an important article, as the use of Semaglutide, liraglutide and tirzepatide  are now quite common as a weight control measure. What effect will their use have on reported Breath Alcohol Concentration readings (BrAC)?

Lesson 7: Breathing Limitations & Breath Alcohol Testing

Article 7-1

COPD is characterized by limitations in air-flow. Air flow limitation can be caused by asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema owing to inflammation and excess mucus that decreases airflow. Those suffering from COPD have reduced forced expiratory volumes and might be unable to satisfy the breath-sampling requirements with some breath-alcohol analyzers. 

Article 7-2

What is the ability of a person of very small stature, or a person with diminished lung capacity to physically provide a breath sample into an alcohol monitoring device?

Lesson 8: Inhalers: Asthma, COPD, and False Positives

Article 8-1

Inhaled respiratory medications are often administered by using a device called a Metered Dose Inhaler, or MDI. The MDI is a pressurized canister of medicine in a plastic holder with a mouthpiece. When sprayed, it delivers a reliable, consistent (or metered) dose of medication. What effect, if any, does an application of medicine from an asthmatic’s Metered Dose Inhaler have on a breath alcohol test?

Lesson 9: Cold and Flu Treatments, and False Positives

Article 9-1
Since the release of the myCAMprogram, we've been compiling a list of Over-the-Counter (OTC) medications and oral care products that should be avoided. Fuel cell devices cannot detect inflated breath alcohol readings due to the recent consumption of any product containing ethanol, or any substances that looks like ethanol to the fuel cell. 

Lesson 10: GERD, Acid Reflux & Alcohol Monitoring:
​Protecting Yourself from False Positives

Article 10-1
​Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) is a chronic condition that is believed to be caused by a partial weakening or failure of the Lower Esophageal Valve (LEV).  This is a valve that separates the Esophagus from the Stomach. When stimulated, the LEV will open momentarily, allowing liquid consisting of acidic stomach contents to partially regurgitate, or reflux, back into the esophagus. This creates an uncomfortable burning sensation, often likened as severe heartburn

Article 10-2

The question now comes: Does GERD affect the results of a breath alcohol test? If you look at the forensic literature presented in the past in the refereed scientific journal, the answer is an unambiguous NO. But is this assumption correct? Is further research necessary? I think GERD presents a more uncertain causal relationship with breath alcohol testing than perhaps first thought. Let’s examine, critically, the data sets obtained, and consider the findings and conclusions

Lesson 11: Gastric Bypass Surgery & Elevated BAC Levels

Article  11-1
More than 250,000 bariatric surgeries were performed in the US alone in 2019. The studies would strongly indicate that bariatric surgery patients present with an abnormal medical condition that may inflate their actual BAC levels, sometimes four times what could be reasonably expected, given an insignificant and seemingly responsible consumption of alcohol. Let’s examine the issue in greater depth in the article and accompanying video presentation.

Lesson 12: Auto Brewery Syndrome & Elevated BAC Levels

Article 12-1
In 2024, a Belgian man was acquitted after he was cited three times for DUI within four years. Though his job at a brewery likely raised suspicions, he insisted that he hadn’t been drinking. Three doctors confirmed that he suffered from a condition called auto-brewery syndrome and was unaware. People with this syndrome carry microbes in their intestines that produce abnormally high levels of alcohol when breaking down sugars and carbohydrates.

Article 12-2

​Auto-Brewery Syndrome (ABS) or gut fermentation syndrome is a rare condition in which ethanol is produced through endogenous (produced within the body) fermentation by fungi or bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, in the mouth and oral pathway, or the urinary tract system. This condition can make your client impaired or intoxicated without consuming alcohol. It is often underdiagnosed.