Abstract
More than 8 million blood and breath alcohol determinations are requested each year in France. Blood alcohol concentration best reflects the possible effects of ethanol on the brain and on the capability to drive a motor vehicle. That is why blood is the most common body fluid tested on living subjects. Alternate specimens (e.g. breath, urine, saliva, sweat, hair) can be proposed to determine ethanol intoxication but all of them are not actually useful. This paper reviews the potentialities and the pros and cons of each alternate specimen and is dedicated to traffic law enforcement.