Chinese driver kicks up a stink after durian causes false positive alcohol breath test result
- Jiangsu motorist who challenged breathalyser is vindicated by blood test
- Nantong police video substantiates claim smelly fruit has unusual properties
A man who failed a traffic police roadside breath test in eastern China blamed durian, the pungent tropical fruit, for the result.
The driver, surnamed Jiang, was stopped for a breathalyser test in Nantong, Jiangsu province, on April 17. It showed his blood alcohol level as 34mg per 100ml, the Qianjiang Evening News reported.
In China, the limit is 20mg/100ml. Drivers found with levels exceeding this are drink-driving and subject to a range of punishments. Those with blood alcohol levels between 20mg/100ml and 80mg/100ml face fines between 1000 and 2000 yuan (US$149 and US$298) and their licences are confiscated for six months, a Xinhua report said.
“I did not drink. I’ve still got the shell of the durian I just ate. You should test my blood,” Jiang was quoted by the Qianjiang Evening News as saying.
Police took him to hospital to take blood, which was assessed at Nantong police testing centre. The result, issued on April 23, showed no alcohol in Jiang’s blood, vindicating him. His licence was returned and the charge was dropped.
Nantong police decided to test the hypothesis that eating durian would lead to a false positive blood alcohol reading on breathalysers when a driver had not taken alcohol.
In a video report by Pear Video, officer Yu Pengxiang ate a mouthful of durian. He was breath-tested immediately and the result showed a blood alcohol level of 36mg/100ml. However, the reading did not show any blood alcohol after another test three minutes later.
How a creative Chinese drunk driver tried to evade arrest ... and failed
Police explained that durian has a high sugar content, which can turn into alcohol as it ripens. Lychee is another fruit that can contain alcohol, according to the report.
News of the incident was met with amusement from users on China’s Twitter-like service Weibo.
“If you eat durians, do not drive. If you drive, do not eat durians,” a user wrote.
