Man’s Body Tries to Frame Him for Drunk‑Driving
A Belgian man is cleared of a drunk driving charge after claiming his body produces alcohol. Turns out this is a real thing.
By Jason Salmon · April 26, 2024
Stop me when this story begins to sound like I made it up.
A Belgian man was arrested and charged with drunk driving. While you may not have formed any specific non-waffle-based Belgian stereotypes, the fact that a grown man was caught driving drunk probably isn’t as shocking as it should be.
The cops caught him because he failed a breathalyzer test. Seems to be pretty by-the-book story at this point?
Keep reading.
Despite failing the breathalyzer test, the Belgian man (whose identity is being protected - in part I assume, to make this story sound more fantastical) was acquitted of all charges. Now it’s getting a little more interesting, but still, this probably seems like a relatively simple story of bribery, corruption, or ineptitude. Right? Not so fast.
The reason the man was acquitted and that the judge in the case emphasized that the defendant had not been intoxicated in his ruling - he has a condition that causes his body to naturally produce alcohol. Yes, that is a real thing…we think. The man’s lawyer, Anise Ghesquiere said that just 20 people globally have been officially diagnosed with the condition. I’m not sure what sounds more unbelievable - the condition or his lawyer’s name - a lawyer with the word “esquiere” in his name makes me feel like I’m reading an Orwell novel.
What is the name of this condition you may ask? ABS: Auto-Brewery Syndrome. Now, this is not only sounding made up, but also like I didn’t even take the time to come up with decently plausible proper nouns. Who in their right mind would name such a condition after the combination that will definitely get someone into this exact pickle? But I swear, I’m not making this up.
The rare condition, also known as Gut Fermentation Syndrome - admittedly less catchy but significantly more scientific-sounding - was first documented in Japan in 1970. It is apparently caused by an unusually high concentration of yeast in the stomach. Researchers have not yet discovered how yeast is able to set up colonies in the human gut. However, it is thought that yeast concentrations could appear after an infection.
In 2015, drunken driving charges against a woman in upstate New York were dismissed after she was discovered to have ABS. So there is precedent because it would be a shame for this poor Belgian man to lose his job…
What is his job you ask?
He works at a brewery.