Can Vaping Cause a Failed Sobriety Test?

www.forensicmag.com

While ethanol is often a hidden ingredient in e-liquids, a new study finds vaping won’t trigger a false positive sobriety test– but only if police employ a proper waiting period.

The findings of the study, “Impact of Vaping Ethanol on the Roadside Field Sobriety Test in a Clinical Setting,” were presented at the annual meeting of the International Association of Forensic Toxicologists in France. It was funded by the National Institute of Justice in the Office of Justice Programs in the U.S. Department of Justice for a project titled “Through the E-Cigarette Looking Glass: The Impact of Vaping Ethanol on DUI Investigations.”

The NIJ awarded Peace and her collaborators two grants totaling roughly $1.8 million in 2018 and 2019 to study the implications of vaping ethanol.