What is meant by the term 'residual alcohol indication'?

The term 'residual alcohol indication' refers specifically to the presence of alcohol in an individual's mouth at the time of testing, which can affect the accuracy of breath alcohol measurement. This phenomenon occurs when alcohol residues are left in the mouth, either from consuming alcohol shortly before the test or from oral hygiene products that contain alcohol. When the Intoxilyzer 9000 measures breath alcohol, it can mistakenly register this mouth alcohol as systemic alcohol, leading to an inflated reading on the device.

This concept is crucial for understanding how breath alcohol testing works because it highlights the importance of proper testing protocols, such as ensuring that a sufficient amount of time has passed since the individual last consumed alcohol or that they have not engaged in actions that could result in mouth alcohol presence. Therefore, recognizing and addressing residual alcohol indication is key to achieving accurate and reliable breath test results.