--- title: "Man Cleared of Drunk Driving Charges After He Proves That His Body Manufactures Its Own Alcohol" description: "A Belgian man who worked at a brewery was arrested for drunk driving, but was acquitted because his body makes its own booze." date: "2024-04-24" modified: "2024-04-24" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/auto-brewery-syndrome-drunk-driving" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "alcohol" - "auto-brewery syndrome" - "drunk driving" - "fermentation" --- # Man Cleared of Drunk Driving Charges After He Proves That His Body Manufactures Its Own Alcohol ![A Belgian man who worked at a brewery was arrested for drunk driving, but was acquitted because his body makes its own booze.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* A Belgian man gets arrested for drunk driving, but ends up acquitted because his body makes its own booze... stop us if you've heard this one before. As [*Reuters* reports](), the Belgian in question was acquitted after three separate doctors confirmed that he does, in fact, have auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), a rare condition in which one's body produces alcohol. Also known as "[gut fermentation syndrome]()," this disorder causes the stomach's natural yeast to produce ethanol — yes, as in the booze ingredient slash alternative fuel, though in that latter form it's generally also [mixed with gasoline](). It can cause them to develop some of the symptoms of drunkenness, including slurred speech and difficulty walking. The debacle began in April 2022, when, as [*France24* reports,]() the man was pulled over twice and, when subjected to breathalyzer exams, was determined to have a blood alcohol level far exceeding the country's 0.22 grams per liter. He had also, as the report notes, been arrested and fined in 2019 for drunk driving despite insisting that he hadn't had anything to drink. Vanishingly rare, there have been [fewer than 100 cases]() reported globally, though experts believe it's [likely underdiagnosed]() or misdiagnosed as common drunkenness. The Bruges man in question, whose name has been withheld per local custom, is apparently one of those unlucky few. Lisa Florin, a clinical biologist who works at the AZ Sint-Lucas in Bruges, told *Reuters* that people aren't born with ABS, but that they develop it as a comorbidity with other intestinal conditions. In a 2023 [book about the syndrome](), doctors explained that along with gut problems, ABS seems to often occur with people who've been previously diagnosed with diabetes and obesity. In her own interview with *Reuters*, the man's attorney, Anse Ghesquiere, said that it's just "another unfortunate coincidence" that he also happens to work at a brewery. The French news outlet, meanwhile, said that the judge in his case requested that he avoid alcohol. **More on drunk driving:** [*Billionaire Who Died in Tesla Had Three Times Legal Blood Alcohol to Drive*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()