Alcohol Abuse Advice

Does Hair Alcohol Testing Reveal Alcohol That?s Been Inhaled Through A.w.o.l?

If a person inhales alcohol verses drinking alcohol, could a person still test positive for alcohol abuse with the same alcohol detection drug service testing such as urine, blood or hair alcohol testing? The answer is yes. First, to describe what it means to inhale alcohol.

 

A.W.O.L stands for Alcohol WithOut Liquid, a device that converts hard liquor into a mist that can be inhaled. Inhaling alcohol increases the rate of intoxication bypassing the stomach and directly entering the bloodstream. The device is two-part machine: a vaporizer and an oxygen generator. A user will pour a half shot of an 80 proof spirit into a “diffuser capsule” and then oxygen is pumped into a tube that is connected to a vaporizer device which turns the liquid into vapor and the user will inhale the alcoholic mist into their lungs, similar to the action of an asthma inhaler. A person can quickly be intoxicated with this device because it instantly goes into the bloodstream. Proponents of the device claim that it eliminates hangover symptoms because alcohol doesn’t spend the time it would in the kidneys or liver. They also claim that because it bypassing the stomach, it is a low-calorie way to consume alcohol. Opponents of the A.W.O.L device have several concerns besides disagreeing with the previous statements.

 

Some opponents wonder about alcohol overdosing or an increase in brain damage from directly flooding the bloodstream with alcohol without it first being broken down. When a person consumes alcohol by drinking it, the body is able to break it down through the liver and the kidneys and the stomach can prevent consumers from over drinking based on fullness. So if exhaling alcohol is one way the body removes the toxins from the body- could a person inhale alcohol and not test positive say in a urine or hair test? What the most sensitive tests look for today is EtG, or ethyl glucuronide, a direct metabolite of alcohol which is only revealed in tests where a person tests positive for alcohol consumption.

 

Ethanol must enter the bloodstream to get to the brain.  If ethanol enters the bloodstream, it will be distributed to other tissues throughout the body including the liver and therefore, will be metabolized.  Once metabolized, EtG can be formed and will be eliminated into the urine, breath and into the hair shaft. If someone does inhale alcohol, it will still be metabolized through traditional means that may result in positive EtG findings. Some types of EtG testing may not be as accurate as hair alcohol testing which is able to reveal the tiniest amounts of alcohol consumption including hand sanitizers, mouthwash and antiseptic.

 

Because the true effects of A.W.O.L. are still unknown, the US has already banned the device in 22 states. The risks of brain damage and accidents caused by unknown consumption with the device lead government officials to quickly stop a trend before it starts. With natural drinking abuse already out of hand, it’s hard to justify a device that makes it easier to be stupid.