If you are ever suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and pulled over by the police, you may be given a Breathalyzer test, which will be used to determine the level of alcohol concentration in your bloodstream. This device used by law enforcement, is portable, reasonably accurate, and gives almost immediate results.
Given the dire consequences drivers face if they fail such a test, there's a question that often arises among individuals who are concerned about the possibility of being caught drinking and driving is there any way to fool the Breathalyzer into showing a lower reading?
Listed below are some common myths and facts about trying to beat the Breathalyzer.
Myth: Sucking on pennies. Most people know that sucking on a penny, or any other type of change, does not trick the Breathalyzer into registering a falsely low blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Even sillier is that people who believe it think the penny trick works because of the penny’s high copper concentration. Pennies have been made of 97.5% zinc since the 1980s.
Myth: Breath Mints. The misguided notion that the smell of alcohol equals alcohol itself fuels the nonsensical belief that breath fresheners can fool a breath analysis test. All gums, mints and sprays do is mask the odor of alcohol on the breath, they do not change the alcohol content of the breath nor do they effect the chemical reactions used to determine the amount of alcohol present. All breath fresheners can do, particularly mouthwashes, is possibly increase the amount of mouth alcohol registered. Even though breath analysis tests have ways of distinguishing mouth alcohol from lung alcohol, the last thing a person would want to do is increase the BAC reading.
Myth: Belching. Many police officers believe that Breathalyzer results can be compromised if the subject belches while being tested, due to the increase in mouth alcohol caused by the belch. This belief is more fiction than fact. According to a 1992 University of Wisconsin study, belching had no effect on breath analysis test results even when subjects belched directly into the instrument.
Myth: Underwear and Feces. Yuck! It almost goes without saying that neither the consumption of underwear nor feces can trick a Breathalyzer into registering a lower BAC, but it is interesting to note that people have tried both. A 28-year-old Canadian man who was stopped on suspicion of drunk driving ate the crotch out of his underwear, believing that it would soak up the excess alcohol in his system. Another Canadian driver tried to foil a Breathalyzer test by eating his own feces. Either it didn’t work or it had the opposite effect and increased the BAC readings. The machine registered a BAC that was more than twice the legal limit.
Myth: Zima. The alcohol in the sweet, pale, malt liquor beverage was thought to be undetectable by breath analysis machines. Zima leaves little alcohol smell on the breath, even though it contains as much alcohol as any normal beer, so people (usually the teens who drink the stuff) believed that the alcohol couldn’t be detected by a Breathalyzer. Like breath fresheners, the alcohol remains even though the odor is not there.
That’s a lot of myths. How about a factual way to decrease a BAC reading?
Fact: Hyperventilation. Breathalyzer results will vary depending upon the breathing pattern of the person being tested. In one study, subjects drank moderate amounts of alcohol after which their BAC levels were measured by gas chromatographic analysis of their breath. Then they took breath analysis tests using various breathing patterns. When the subjects held their breath for 30 seconds before exhaling, their BAC readings increased by over 15%. When they hyperventilated for 20 seconds immediately before taking the tests, their BAC readings decreased by over ten percent.
On the other hand, hyperventilating could make you dizzy and affect your performance on other common roadside sobriety tests, such as walking in a straight line or balancing on one foot.
These are just a small handful of the "beat the Breathalyzer" tales. What’s the moral to most of these fables? If you think you can fool the Breathalyzer, you’re probably just fooling yourself. If you really want to beat the breathalyzer, just don't drink and drive, and you'll have nothing to worry about.
» left by scott harshaw from greenwich, CT (2 years 129 days ago.)
Wow, some people will go to any length to try to fool themselves into thinking these outrageous methods could possibly work. Feces! That's a first. Now, I'm completely against drunk driving, but sometimes members of one's family may have a cheap BAC tester. The "old lady" is who I want to fool not law enforcement agents. I will try the hyperventilation method and see if it actually works. Thank you. Respond to this comment
» left by Hannah Quinn(19,455) Hannah Quinn (1 year 116 days ago.)
The one thing which never gets mentioned in discussions or debates about breathalysers is the fact that to drive while intoxicated is dangerous for driver, passengers and other road users. So instead of trying to beat it, let's be responsible and have either a designated driver who does not drink, or refuse to drink when we have to drive.
did you read the whole article from start to finish or did you just miss the part at the end where they say it would be smarter not to drink and drive at all.
» left by mr unknown from not here (254 days 13 hours ago.)
i have been pulled over numerous times whilst over the limit and have been able to walk away a free man everytime. this will not come please many of you. We all know how the justice system can be harsh and unpleasent, so it does no harm you into pulling some trick ourselves, as any offence may have catastrophic consequence on lives, which can be very unjust. Now, the breathalyzers used are not accurate enough to be forensic (evidence suitable for court), jus merely used to give a general idea of the condition of the offender. Should readings go over then the police will take you to the police station where they will ask you to provide more breath to a more accurate machine which can be used as evidence in court. The body will drop 5 units of alcohol every half hour (average), so from time of initial breath/arrest to the time of second breath test will likely to be more than half an hour....so delaying this process as much as possible will help. You can request a bathroom break, simply refuse at first request (but dont refuse totally), by taking your time with the initial registration at the police station, or by any means you may deem reasonable at the time. Should the machine still give over the limit results you'd think its over.....WRONG!! there is still one lifeline left....the breath test can still be substituted with a blood test, should you agree to provide one for anylysis....not a obligatory but recommended if you fail the second breath test. Now as stated before the body will drop 5 units every half hour, so now in order for the police to obtain your blood specimin a doctor must suck it out of you, not any tom dick or harry....so now this means a phone call has be made to the doctor, and the doctor must drive over to the station, and the law of nature will show that doctors are never punctual! so there goes another hour or so and another 10 units of alcohol dropped....by this time your alcohol level should really be down...if not then you deserve to go down for gettin behind a wheel with ridiculous levels of alcohol....though you will not know the results at that time. So once the doctor has taken your sample, you will be free to go if the police are satisfied you have sobered up a bit, and requested to attend the same station to be briefed of the blood analysis.
Please note that this is not a rebelious post against the law, but just providing an opportunity for people to give themselves a chance to not have their lives ruined by bullying police officers. I am a trainee legal advocaate and i see people surrender their human rights everyday without realising to cunning police officers, and loosing jobs and breaking families everyday, this is not justice, the social impact is not so much considered. For those who will refuse to condone this, this is not to protect criminals, but to protect ALL OUR human rights guarenteed by the constitution....we can talk back! Respond to this comment
Your closing statements couldn't be more true. Since law enforcement transitioned from protecting public safety to being a profit center for the government they have become more and more aggressive in stripping away our constutionally guaranteed human rights to the point that if you don't know what they are and insist on them being respected, then you really don't have them anymore!
» left by Jeff Stehlar from NewYork (93 days 23 hours ago.)
I agree with everything said about the police officers, they lie & they drink & drive more then most people.
I am about to loose my freedom for driving with a valid NY State Divers Licence because I did not have the interlock system hooked up in my mothers truck. I was not drinking, the breathalyser prooved that.
I have a family, a good job & a mortgage that is already tough enough to make. If I am sent to jail for a year, my family & I will loose everything for driving with a valid licence.
» left by Tx from Grapevine, (98 days 18 hours ago.)
I think that because a person was drinking, that doesn't automatically make him/her the person at fault in an accident. I think their are a lot of people on the road who drive worse than a lot of drunks when they are completely sober. But their has to be some way to get habitual offenders off the road. I just think that that the with the limit being as low as it is the first offense sentencing is too harsh.
I cant believe I am reading the comments I am...I have lost a loved one to a drunk driver and it was on a nice sun shinny day and if the DUMB women would of been sober we would not have lost one of the best people any one could ever know and I think if you are a big enough BONE HEAD to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking then you deserve any type of sentence the courts could come up with in fact I think a good old beating from the cop that caught you should be mandatory and as far as beating the test you go right ahead and give it a try because unless you are living in May berry and the cop is sheriff Taylor you will spend the night in jail and also it is the 21st century and they have people on site at most police station's that will take your sample on the spot and it will not matter how much you put it off you are busted....
» left by HvUCn my cvl librty l8tly from NC (98 days 17 hours ago.)
A few quick comments:
1 - the breathalizers used in the field are not allowed as evidence in court because of their innacuracy.
2 - the breathalizers used in the station have a .02% margin of error as admitted by the manufacturer.
3 - roadside sobriety tests are designed to fail you
4 - most states dropped the legal limit to .08 only after the Fed Gov threatened to take away their highway funds
5- I am perfectly able to function normally after two drinks, but with my weight, two drinks in one hour provides a BAC of over .08 - it sucks.
6 - If you have ever seen a courtroom in full session with DUI cases, you will most likely notice that the Troopers seem to fire off a rote response to every single case: "I noticed glassy eyes, slurred speech and a strong smell of alcohol". This was particularly obvious in my case (not guilty, by the way) when the actual statement signed by the officer the night I was pulled (for going 59 in a 55 - go figure...) said my speech was fine and there was a "moderate" smell of alcohol. Amazingly, as I was being fingerprinted (scary, huh? especially for a 'not guilty') I overheard that the same trooper had already 'busted' 5 before me that same night. Must've been going for the record. Over-zealous MF - going for promotion maybe? It was the end of the month...maybe there was an unwritten bonus involved for reaching department revenue goals? - but that's a whole 'nuther story altogether...
7 - I haven't done the research on this, but I was told that I had to be observed when I was finally allowed to urinate, because in the trooper's words "you could splash urine in your mouth and mess up the breathalizer results" - not that I ever considered putting ANY sort of body waste into my mouth for ANY reason, but does anyone know any more on that subject?
8 - I felt helpless, bullied, handcuffed and violated. I feel for anyone that has lost a loved one to a drunk driver - in fact I feel for anyone that has lost a loved one to someone on a cell phone, or someone who is way past a safe age to drive responsibly, or to someone who is a careless, invincible teenager, or for that matter - too many cholesteral-ridden meals at McD's - but to say that any 'public servant' has the right to beat anyone lessons any sympathy from me.
All right maybe I got a little caught up in the moment for that I am sorry...I to have had a DUI back in 1989 which was a long time ago and since then I have grown up and I do know the difference between right and wrong and drunk driving is wrong and the laws the have been put in place are there to protect us all... Yeh maybe there are a lot of cops out there going for a record or told they need to make more DUI stops but that does not change the fact that drunk driving is WRONG !!! Instead of trying to come up with ways to beat any test how about being a little more responsible by not doing it to began with or is it that people that drive drunk need to seek some help from AA cause they cant stop them selfs.
» left by lost cvl librty again (98 days 13 hours ago.)
Too bad the tests aren't capable of determining - on a level specific to the individual - when someone is actually too impaired to drive...and too bad that even those of us that enjoy one or two drinks responsibly feel the fear when watching a red-faced skin head who acts like he has something to prove saunter towards your car because you have a license tag light bulb out...
A police state is common in most third-world countries. It shouldn't be in ours.
» left by warped from S. E. MN. (98 days 10 hours ago.)
I would agree its a money trap. I was followed home 3 years ago april fools day and as soon as I pulled into my driveway the lights came on. That was back when it was still .10 and i was only .08 but I was still arrested and waiting isnt the best advice I would give cause it absorbs into the bloodstream with time. none the less i was found guilty in court. But what I want to know is why public servants can get away with DUI when Joe Blow cant? Ten years ago an off duty county cop ran over a girl on the side of the road after leaving a firemans dance and only served 2 years and he is now a paid fireman! If it was you or I they would have locked the door and thrown away the key! There are 2 sets of laws. Who polices the police? We do! So the next time you get stopped just give them yer wallet checkbook deed to yer house and any other assets you may have cause they are gonna take it anyway just like the gustapo!!!!!!!!!
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