Can I Trick a Breathalyzer in Tampa?

One of the most common misconceptions regarding a DUI charge is a person’s ability to “trick” a breathalyzer. There are several myths that surround the machine, and tall tales of beating the test are told with gusto. While breathalzyers do have their problems, there is no proven way to beat the machine. In fact, many of the methods that people believe will help them may end up hurting them.

Here are some of the more prevalent methods that you have heard for tricking the breathalyzer:

Put a Penny in Your Mouth
The story behind this fallacy is that the metal in the penny will react in such a way with the alcohol in your breath that the machine reads a number so high that it is unrealistic. The problem with this thinking lies in not knowing how the breathalyzer works. Deep lung air is what is blown in to the mouthpiece. Even if metal were to react with the alcohol, it would do so only in your mouth. While the machine can detect the air in your mouth, it doesn’t do so in a way that will send the results sky high.

Rinse with Mouthwash
Mouthwash contains alcohol. It makes very little sense to add alcohol to your breath if your goal is to beat a breathalyzer. When you gargle with, rinse with or swallow mouthwash before you take a breathalyzer, you could see the results climb slightly higher than they would have been otherwise. Never mind that you will have very little opportunity once you are in custody to rinse your mouth out with mouthwash.

Blowing Lightly
Believe it or not, police have experience in delivering breathalyzers. Add to that the fact that the machine will not register until you blow in a certain way and you can see why trying to blow using only the air in your mouth won’t work.

Drink Coffee, Soda, or Anything with Caffeine
Caffeine may give you more energy. It may even make you feel more awake. Those are the only things that caffeine will do for you. No matter how much coffee or soda you drink, you will not affect the concentration of alcohol in your system. That means that caffeine will not help you trick a breathalyzer.

In truth, there is nothing you can do that will fool a breathalyzer machine, nor is trying any of these tricks ever recommended. While many of these ideas sound plausible, they simply don’t work. If you have heard of any other ways to beat a breathalyzer, we would love to hear them!

If you or a loved one has been arrested for a DUI in Tampa, you need a lawyer you can trust on your side. Call us immediately so that we can begin working on your case. We are here for you – call now.

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