Driver fails breath test after eating jackfruit

Kottayam: Is there a connection between jackfruit and detection of alcohol in one's breath? A breathalyser test at a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation depot in Pathanamthitta apparently found one.

A bus driver who ate jackfruit before joining duty failed the test at the Pandalam depot Friday. An official said a staffer had brought jackfruit from his house to the depot and shared it with his colleagues.

The driver in question consumed a good amount of the fruit, the official said.

As routine, he then underwent the breathalyzer test . But to his shock, the meter rose from 0 to 10 within seconds. The driver insisted that he was not drunk and even challenged the authorities to conduct a blood test. Three other staff members also failed the test. Finally, the authorities concerned decided to put the breathalyzer itself under the scanner.

An official who was assigned to conduct the breathalyzer test took the assessment with the meter showing zero. However, when he underwent the test after consuming jackfruit, the meter reading went up, showing he was drunk, said the official. The officials confirmed that jackfruit was the unlikely culprit.