Weird DUI Debunked: Milk and Your BAC

Welcome to Weird DUI debunking… the milk edition.

When we think about drunk driving, we are pretty much guaranteed that the cause of the incident is related to alcohol… the kind that is served in bars or restaurants. The confusion begins when we start to look at the connection (or disconnection) between alcohol, sugar, and people trying to get out of trouble for a DUI.

Alcohol is a product of fermentation, and it is a sugar. Alcohol and sugar are both used in various food or beverages that we can eat or drink legally, no matter how old we are or whether we will be driving later. Maybe that is why claims that beer battered foods or wine sauces cause high blood alcohol concentration (BAC) readings during DUI investigations are not uncommon.

What IS uncommon is the myth that milk (a legal, alcohol-free beverage that you can drink before driving) can somehow cause a BAC measurement, and one high enough to cause a DUI arrest or conviction.

We like to believe that what is discussed on the Internet stays on the Internet. But, people still believe that sucking on pennies can beat a BAC test. So, here we are, explaining that in no way, shape or form can milk cause a BAC reading.

• Yes, milk contains lactose.
• Lactose is a milk sugar.
• Sugar and alcohol are often tossed together as bad additions to diets.
• Sugar alcohol is neither a sugar nor an alcohol.
• The only thing that can cause a BAC reading is alcohol. Not sugar, not sugar alcohol, and certainly not milk. Not even if the milk is fermented… like alcohol.

PSA: do not drink fermented milk. Ick.

If you are wondering what set off the police breathalyzer or your ignition interlock device, it was likely the drinks you consumed before driving. If you did not drink alcoholic beverages, maybe you are using cough medicine or swished a little too much mouthwash before blowing into the device. Your glass of milk or the foam in your cappuccino is not the culprit for your weird DUI problem.