Advertisement

How a 'perfectly sober' driver still blew over the limit

A perfectly sober driver copped an unexpected shock when he blew 0.05 in a random breath test after applying an ointment to treat a mouth ulcer.

He had just used Bonjela, best known for soothing the gums of teething babies, which happens to contain a small amount of alcohol.

"I was pretty much, 'ah, what, when, how, 'cause I haven't had a drink'," Melbourne driver Chris said after being stopped for an RBT at lunchtime on Australia Day.

"While I was in the queue I put some Bonjela on an ulcer I had on my tongue, and a couple of minutes later when I was breath tested I blew over the limit."

Chris blew over the limit after applying Bonjela cream. Source: 7 News
Chris blew over the limit after applying Bonjela cream. Source: 7 News
Chris was stopped for a random breath test on Australia Day when he got an unexpected shock. Source: 7 News
Chris was stopped for a random breath test on Australia Day when he got an unexpected shock. Source: 7 News

Despite consuming just one drink the night before, he panicked at the reading.

"Oh I was terrified, it gave me such a fright because you get asked to turn the car off, you have to get out of the car in front of all the other traffic, and a police officer moves your car off to the side of the road - it was embarrassing," Chris said.

After being questioned by police, Chris realised the Bonjela cream was the cause.

Bonjela, which is used for teething babies and to soothe mouth ulcers, contains alcohol. Source: 7 News
Bonjela, which is used for teething babies and to soothe mouth ulcers, contains alcohol. Source: 7 News

"I'm still really surprised, I just assumed a product for babies wouldn't have had alcohol in it," he said.

Police have confirmed positive breath tests such as Chris' are not that unusual but secondary tests are always undertaken and drivers cannot be convicted on the evidence of a preliminary test alone.

"A positive breath test reading can be caused by the presence of residual alcohol in a person's mouth, if a person has used mouthwash, breath spray or certain medicines that contain alcohol," Victoria Police said in a statement.

Chris was surprised that an ointment for babies contained alcohol. Source: 7 News
Chris was surprised that an ointment for babies contained alcohol. Source: 7 News

"If you are going to put Bonjela on, make sure it's 15 minutes before you drive," Chris advised after his experience.