How to Beat a Breathalyzer: Is Sucking on a Penny the Answer?

The simplest way to pass a breathalyzer is, of course, to avoid putting yourself in that situation. The best advice? Don’t drink to the point where your blood alcohol content exceeds the legal limit! But if we're considering how to pass a breathalyzer in a hypothetical situation, there are a few strategies worth mentioning.

Imagine you need to pass a breathalyzer test. What do others do to beat the test? What are the flaws in breathalyzer technology? In this article, we’ll investigate whether sucking on pennies can actually lower your blood alcohol content on a breathalyzer test. Plus, we’ll take a look at some other popular myths about fooling breathalyzer readings and reveal whether any of them hold any truth!

Can Sucking on Pennies Influence a Breathalyzer Test?

There are many myths about ways to trick a breathalyzer into giving a lower blood alcohol reading, and sucking on a penny is one of them. The idea behind this myth is that placing a penny in your mouth (whether sucking it or chewing it, depending on the version of the tale) will alter the chemical makeup of your saliva, ultimately affecting the breathalyzer's reading.

Some claim that the more pennies you have in your mouth, the better the outcome, though they must be discreetly disposed of before the test. The zinc and copper in the penny, along with the dirt it's collected over time, supposedly neutralize or mask the alcohol levels in your breath by triggering a chemical reaction or by coating the inside of your mouth.

Some people believe that the breathalyzer is tricked into producing a lower reading, while others argue that the device becomes so confused by the strange input that it simply fails to work altogether.

Breathalyzer Tests Aren't Easily Fooled

You've had a drink or two, but you're not exactly 'drunk.' As you drive home, you come across a series of field sobriety tests at the offramp. A police officer is walking towards your car. Is it a good idea to stuff a dollar's worth of pennies in your mouth to throw off the breathalyzer reading?

No. No matter how cleverly you try this trick, it won't work. For it to be effective, the breathalyzer would have to somehow measure the alcohol in a way that could be altered by external substances, which it doesn’t.

Breathalyzers work by emitting an infrared light that varies in intensity based on the alcohol content in your mouth. First, the breathalyzer passes light through a breath sample, causing the intensity to change. This change is then used to determine the amount of alcohol in the sample, and thus the level of intoxication. It's a complex process for a small device, but it was designed precisely because it's difficult, if not impossible, to trick.

Advancements in Portable Breathalyzer Technology

The idea of beating the breathalyzer test does have some truth to it. Early breathalyzers operated in a way that's similar to what many still believe, measuring chemical reactions based on the alcohol in the breath. Back then, it was easier to manipulate the results with pennies or other tricks.

Over the years, various tricks have been passed around by word of mouth as ways to fool a breathalyzer test. We'll go over some of the most popular myths. However, it's been well over a decade since any of these tricks actually worked.

How to Beat a Breathalyzer Test: Myths and Misconceptions

If you're curious about other debunked methods to lower your breath alcohol concentration (BAC) reading, you're in the right place! But remember, trying to deceive a breathalyzer can have legal consequences.

Mouthwash or Breath Spray

Some people believe that using mouthwash or breath spray right before a breathalyzer test can hide the alcohol or trick the machine. However, many of these products contain alcohol, which can actually raise the BAC reading instead of lowering it. This strategy often backfires, leading to even higher readings.

Eating Strong Foods or Using Breath Mints

The idea behind this method is that consuming strong-smelling foods or using breath mints will mask the scent of alcohol, causing the officer to think you're sober or somehow prevent the machine from detecting alcohol. However, breathalyzers measure alcohol levels, not the odor of your breath, so this tactic doesn’t work.

Hyperventilating, Exercising, or Holding Your Breath

Some people believe that hyperventilating, exercising just before the test, or holding your breath can lower your BAC readings by altering the breath sample. While these actions might slightly change the breath’s composition, they don't have a meaningful impact on the alcohol concentration in your bloodstream.

Breathalyzers are designed to measure deep lung air, which is where alcohol concentration is most accurately linked to your blood alcohol content.

Drinking Water or Eating Food to Dilute Alcohol

The idea is that drinking a lot of water or eating food will dilute the alcohol in your system, leading to a lower BAC reading. While staying hydrated and eating may affect how alcohol is absorbed, they don't significantly alter the alcohol concentration in your breath by the time you're tested.

Breathalyzers measure the alcohol content in the breath coming from your lungs, not from your stomach.

Control How Much Alcohol You Consume

These myths provide no foolproof way to trick a breathalyzer test. The most reliable method to pass is to drink responsibly and make sure your BAC is below the legal limit before you drive.

Law enforcement agencies and breathalyzer manufacturers have designed these devices to accurately assess a person's BAC, making it virtually impossible to deceive the system with simple tricks or gimmicks.