Can You Cheat A Breathalyzer Test?

People have been looking for ways to fool breathalyzer tests ever since they were first introduced to detect the concentration of alcohol in a person’s bloodstream. Is it possible to cheat on a breathalyzer test? No, but that doesn’t mean you can’t beat it. Here’s what you should know. 

Using Mouthwash

Fiction: Swishing with mouthwash before submitting to a breathalyzer test will eliminate traces of alcohol from your breath. 

Fact: Mouthwash might actually raise your breathalyzer reading if it contains alcohol in the formula. 

Sucking on Pennies 

Fiction: Putting a penny in your mouth and sucking on it right before or while you take the breathalyzer test will cause the test to have difficulty producing an accurate reading of your BAC. 

Fact: Pennies have no effect on how breathalyzer tests work. It doesn’t disrupt their calibration or ability to pick up on the presence of alcohol in the breath deep in your lungs. Sucking on a penny will simply taste bad. 

Smoking Cigarettes 

Fiction: Smoking cigarettes makes it easier to pass a breathalyzer test. If you smoke before you take the test, the reading will be lower than if you didn’t. 

Fact: Smokers have a higher concentration of acetaldehyde in their lungs, which may skew the breathalyzer test results in extremely high amounts. This is unlikely, however, especially since law enforcement officers use breathalyzer tests that are sensitive enough to bypass acetaldehyde.   

Exercising or Hyperventilating 

Fiction: Hyperventilating or exercising causes you to breathe faster, which prevents the oxygen in your lungs from absorbing alcohol since it is expelled so quickly. This results in a lower BAC when you blow air into the breathalyzer test. 

Fact: Doing this may only decrease your BAC by a very small amount. The officer who stopped you will likely notice your suspicious behavior and notate it, which will only serve to discredit you and weaken your case. 

How You Can Actually Beat a Breathalyzer Reading

There’s not much you can do to fool a breathalyzer test, but you can beat the results with the help of an experienced Brooklyn DWI attorney. Your lawyer can help you challenge the validity of the results and get them dismissed from court, so the prosecution can’t use the test as evidence against you. 

If you or a loved one have been arrested for drinking and driving, get legal help now. Call Brooklyn DWI lawyer Mark Cossuto for a consultation at 800-609-4545.