A Belgian man has been acquitted of drunk driving.
The Guardian reports that the man has auto-brewery symptoms (ABS). The syndrome is an extremely rare condition in which the body produces alcohol.
His lawyer, Anse GGhesquiere, said that in “another unfortunate coincidence,” her client worked at a brewery, but three doctors who independently examined him had confirmed he had ABS.
The judge maintained that the defendant did not experience symptoms of intoxication. The Bruges police court acquitted the man.
A clinical biologist with the Belgian hospital AZ Sint-Lucas, Lisa Florin, said people with ABS produced the same type of alcohol as found in alcoholic drinks but that they generally felt less of its effects.
People are not born with ABS but can develop it when they already have another intestine-related condition. Patients may have symptoms similar to alcohol intoxication, like slurred speech, stumbling, loss of motor function, dizziness and belching.
