"Drunk" at the wheel

Body produces alcohol: man acquitted

The Belgian man had apparently not drunk any alcohol beforehand, but the alcohol test still gave a good result (symbolic image).(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth (Symbolbild))

Unbelievable, but true: a court in Bruges has now acquitted a man who was caught "drunk" at the wheel of his car twice. The elevated blood alcohol level was apparently for medical reasons.

The defendant suffers from auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), which is sometimes triggered by intestinal problems, as reported by Belgian media. This is an extremely rare disease in which the body produces alcohol itself, according to the man's lawyer.

In those affected, liver-damaging alcohols are produced in the body, which lead to self-generated alcoholization of the affected person. Three doctors independently confirmed the diagnosis, the lawyer told the Guardian.

Highly elevated blood alcohol levels
The 40-year-old employee of a brewery in Bruges had previously been found to have elevated blood alcohol levels during traffic checks in April and May 2022. He was found to have 2.1 and 1.6 per mille alcohol in his blood and was subsequently charged, as reported by the newspaper "De Standaard".

Although people with ABS can produce the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, they generally feel significantly less of its effects. However, this is not a congenital disease, but an acquired one. Patients may show symptoms consistent with alcohol intoxication, such as slurred speech, stumbling, loss of motor skills, dizziness and belching.