Sunday, November 25, 2007
Breathalyzer Drug claims 60% decrease in readout
San Diego DUI criminal defense attorney - San Diego California drunk driving criminal defense lawyers news http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net
Breathalyzer drug's claims woozy, pros say
A Web site claims its tablets can lower blood alcohol levels, so drinking drivers can’t be arrested for DUI. Don’t believe it.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
By JOHN BRANTON, renown Columbian writer
Talk about the marvels of modern science - and just in time for the holiday season!
A new product, chewed while drinking alcohol, will "eliminate odor and decrease Breathalyzer readout by up to 60 percent."
That's according to a recent flurry of spam e-mails and a new Web-site pitch.
The seller, a company called DUIX Ltd., is hoping you'll believe its claims that the tablets can lower alcohol levels in your body, and thus protect drinking drivers from being arrested for DUI.
The company wants you to send in your credit-card number to order 10 tablets for $12.99, or 60 for $29.95.
That's a tiny price to pay, you might think, since a first-time DUI conviction here in Clark County can easily cost $8,000, with all the fines, fees, insurance hikes and legal costs.
DUIX Ltd. agrees.
"The Alcohol Breathalyzer is definitely not in your favor and can cost you everything from your job, freedom, thousands of dollars or all of the above," the Web site says.
In a "testimonial," Robert J. of Tulsa, Okla., tells Web-site visitors he got DUIX from a friend, drank three glasses of wine with dinner and was pulled over by police as he left the restaurant.
"That night I was asked to take a breath test," he says, "and nothing showed on the reading."
When The Columbian started getting the unsolicited e-mails in mid-November, a reporter looked into it.
The Web site provides no address or phone number for the company, and doesn't say what the active ingredient in DUIX is.
And it offers only one way to reach the company, a contact link, unless you enter a credit-card number and make a purchase.
Police advise against giving credit-card numbers to strangers who might be identity thieves.
When searches of the Nexis news and business databases for the past two years showed few if any hits, it was clear that DUIX, with a 2007 "copyright date" on the Web site, isn't an established, well-known product.
So a reporter used the Web site's contact link several times, asking what's in DUIX and whether it's a scam.
The Columbian also asked an ethical question: Might the sales pitch encourage people to buy DUIX, then drink and drive, which is the No. 1 cause of fatal traffic accidents in Washington?
Several days later, there was no response.
A Whois.net search of domain names indicated the Web site is based in Aberdeen, U.K., and gave a Torontomail.com, e-mail address. A message sent there also brought no response.
At the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, spokeswoman Ann Bradley said, "We have no research at present - nor do I know of any - on agents to defeat Breathalyzer tests."
Rod Gullberg, a research analyst with the Washington State Patrol, said scientists have been studying the metabolism of alcohol for about 100 years. And it's not the first time sellers have claimed their products can alter it.
"There's never been found any nutritional supplement, or anything you take, that speeds up or slows down the natural process of the liver in metabolizing alcohol," Gullberg said. "Nothing has been found to meet the claims of these manufacturers."
WSP Trooper Mike Kesler said he's heard of a fizzy drink whose sellers make similar claims.
Further checks revealed more problems with the credibility of DUIX Ltd.:
The Web site prominently displays the logo of the Better Business Bureau's BBBOnLine Reliability Program. But several searches on the BBB's Web site got no hits for DUIX.
In addition, the BBB says clicking on their logo, if it's valid, should confirm participation and provide other information. However, clicking on the logo brought no response.
There was a recent mention of the product on the California DUI Lawyer Center Blog, simply noting what the Web site claims. http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net
Rick Mueller, a specialist member of the state's DUI Lawyers Association who checked the blog, told The Columbian he knew nothing about DUIX and added, "I'm a bit suspicious, I must admit." http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net/2007/11/60-decrease-in-california-dui-breath.html
A search revealed one small story about DUIX in November on the news Web site msnbc.com , under the title "Lozenges for lushes."
The writer, associate editor Brian Tracey, noted that DUIX offers a money-back guarantee to unsatisfied customers.
Tracey added, "Great, that refund will be certainly appreciated after you make bail."
http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net
http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net/2007/11/60-decrease-in-california-dui-breath.html
Breathalyzer drug's claims woozy, pros say
A Web site claims its tablets can lower blood alcohol levels, so drinking drivers can’t be arrested for DUI. Don’t believe it.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
By JOHN BRANTON, renown Columbian writer
Talk about the marvels of modern science - and just in time for the holiday season!
A new product, chewed while drinking alcohol, will "eliminate odor and decrease Breathalyzer readout by up to 60 percent."
That's according to a recent flurry of spam e-mails and a new Web-site pitch.
The seller, a company called DUIX Ltd., is hoping you'll believe its claims that the tablets can lower alcohol levels in your body, and thus protect drinking drivers from being arrested for DUI.
The company wants you to send in your credit-card number to order 10 tablets for $12.99, or 60 for $29.95.
That's a tiny price to pay, you might think, since a first-time DUI conviction here in Clark County can easily cost $8,000, with all the fines, fees, insurance hikes and legal costs.
DUIX Ltd. agrees.
"The Alcohol Breathalyzer is definitely not in your favor and can cost you everything from your job, freedom, thousands of dollars or all of the above," the Web site says.
In a "testimonial," Robert J. of Tulsa, Okla., tells Web-site visitors he got DUIX from a friend, drank three glasses of wine with dinner and was pulled over by police as he left the restaurant.
"That night I was asked to take a breath test," he says, "and nothing showed on the reading."
When The Columbian started getting the unsolicited e-mails in mid-November, a reporter looked into it.
The Web site provides no address or phone number for the company, and doesn't say what the active ingredient in DUIX is.
And it offers only one way to reach the company, a contact link, unless you enter a credit-card number and make a purchase.
Police advise against giving credit-card numbers to strangers who might be identity thieves.
When searches of the Nexis news and business databases for the past two years showed few if any hits, it was clear that DUIX, with a 2007 "copyright date" on the Web site, isn't an established, well-known product.
So a reporter used the Web site's contact link several times, asking what's in DUIX and whether it's a scam.
The Columbian also asked an ethical question: Might the sales pitch encourage people to buy DUIX, then drink and drive, which is the No. 1 cause of fatal traffic accidents in Washington?
Several days later, there was no response.
A Whois.net search of domain names indicated the Web site is based in Aberdeen, U.K., and gave a Torontomail.com, e-mail address. A message sent there also brought no response.
At the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, spokeswoman Ann Bradley said, "We have no research at present - nor do I know of any - on agents to defeat Breathalyzer tests."
Rod Gullberg, a research analyst with the Washington State Patrol, said scientists have been studying the metabolism of alcohol for about 100 years. And it's not the first time sellers have claimed their products can alter it.
"There's never been found any nutritional supplement, or anything you take, that speeds up or slows down the natural process of the liver in metabolizing alcohol," Gullberg said. "Nothing has been found to meet the claims of these manufacturers."
WSP Trooper Mike Kesler said he's heard of a fizzy drink whose sellers make similar claims.
Further checks revealed more problems with the credibility of DUIX Ltd.:
The Web site prominently displays the logo of the Better Business Bureau's BBBOnLine Reliability Program. But several searches on the BBB's Web site got no hits for DUIX.
In addition, the BBB says clicking on their logo, if it's valid, should confirm participation and provide other information. However, clicking on the logo brought no response.
There was a recent mention of the product on the California DUI Lawyer Center Blog, simply noting what the Web site claims. http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net
Rick Mueller, a specialist member of the state's DUI Lawyers Association who checked the blog, told The Columbian he knew nothing about DUIX and added, "I'm a bit suspicious, I must admit." http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net/2007/11/60-decrease-in-california-dui-breath.html
A search revealed one small story about DUIX in November on the news Web site msnbc.com , under the title "Lozenges for lushes."
The writer, associate editor Brian Tracey, noted that DUIX offers a money-back guarantee to unsatisfied customers.
Tracey added, "Great, that refund will be certainly appreciated after you make bail."
http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net
http://www.sandiegodrunkdrivingattorney.net/2007/11/60-decrease-in-california-dui-breath.html
# posted by SanDiegoDUI @ 10:27 AM 
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