“I haven’t had anything to drink, but my interlock has detected alcohol!”

We’ve heard this comment hundreds of times—and we can relate to it!

Alcohol isn’t limited to beer, wine & spirits. It’s present in a lot of everyday substances. From bread and pizza to mouthwash, fermented products like kombutcha, hand sanitiser and even perfume, alcohol can be found in a lot of unexpected places.

The presence of alcohol in unlikely places isn’t a recent discovery. Back in the 1920s, the American Chemical Society ran a set of experiments to report on The Alcohol Content of Bread.

There isn’t a complete list of substances that contain alcohol so it’s important you take precautions to prevent causing a mouth contaminant reading. If you’ve had anything to eat, drink, smoke, or chew, have a drink or water and wait at least two minutes before you blow into your interlock. This pause, along with the water, will allow any residual alcohol lingering in your mouth (hence the term ‘mouth contaminant’) to dissipate.

Additionally, it’s important to note that ingested alcohol (alcohol from beer, wine, spirits) can be present in your system for a long time. If you’ve had anything to drink in the 24 hours prior to taking a test, we recommend you first test yourself with a personal breathalyser to ensure you don’t blow an unintentional violation.