The man did not know about his rare disease for a long time and did not understand why police officers constantly told him that he was drunk and driving. After being tested by three different doctors, he was found not guilty.
A Belgian man whose body produces its own alcohol has been acquitted of drunk driving. The Guardian writes about this.
The Bruges court heard the defendant had a condition called autobrewery syndrome (ABS), which is sometimes caused by intestinal problems. This is an extremely rare disease in which the human body produces alcohol itself.
The 40-year-old Belgian was first convicted of drink driving in 2019. He was unaware of his condition at the time. He was confused because he didn’t drink. Police stopped the man again in April 2022 and again a month later, and both times he was found to be over the country’s drink-driving limit.
On Monday, April 22, Lawyer Anse Ghesquière said that in “another unfortunate coincidence” her client worked at a brewery, but three doctors who independently examined him confirmed he had ABS.
Illustrative photo
Photo: Depositphotos
Belgian media reported that in the verdict the judge emphasized that the defendant, who is not named in accordance with local judicial customs, did not experience symptoms of intoxication.
Lisa Florin, a clinical biologist at Belgium’s AZ Sint-Lucas hospital, says people with the condition produce the same type of alcohol as in alcoholic drinks, but usually feel less of its effects. People aren’t born with ABS, she says, but can develop it when they already have another gut-related condition. Patients may experience symptoms consistent with alcohol intoxication, such as slurred speech, stumbling, loss of motor function, dizziness, and belching.
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