How does it work
First, you need to understand the operating principle of the apparatus for determining alcohol content.
Today there are quite a large number of breathalyzers, the operating principle of which is the same. The only differences are various additional functions or dimensions. For example, the method of air intake, the ability to print a receipt, data storage, and so on. How does it work:
- After turning on the device, it takes about a minute for the device to warm up.
- The person then blows into a special tube for ten seconds. Instead of a tube there may be something else.
- Air passes through the device and accumulates in a special storage area, where there is a sensor containing two electrodes. The surface of one electrode is coated with a special catalyst substance, which is very sensitive to ethanol; if the air contains alcohol, then an electrochemical reaction between ethanol and the catalyst occurs.
- After this, approximately 40 seconds pass and the results are shown on the device screen.
- The result is then printed on the receipt.
- After use, the device automatically cleans itself within a minute.
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How to fool the traffic police breathalyzer
There is an opinion among car enthusiasts that the breathalyzer can be fooled in different ways:
- eat a head of garlic or a bar of white chocolate;
- chew a handful of sunflower seeds with peel;
- drink 100 ml of sunflower oil;
- drink 1 liter of water in one gulp immediately before being stopped by a traffic police officer;
- use “Anti-policeman”;
- go to the bathhouse;
- go in for sports.
However, all these methods are nothing more than a myth. Traffic police inspectors use certified breathalyzers with an electrochemical indicator for their work. The readings of this type of breathalyzer are highly accurate and do not depend on external factors. By chewing the above products or taking a pill, you can get rid of the smell of alcohol and external signs of intoxication, but the amount of ethanol in the blood will not decrease. Baths and physical activity help speed up the removal of alcohol from the body, but this will not completely hide its presence.
Some drivers claim that if you breathe lightly into the tube, the device can be confused. This trick will also not help: professional breathalyzers do not give results if your breathing is too weak.
So, it is impossible to fool the traffic police breathalyzer. And, if the amount of alcohol in the body according to the test results exceeds 0.16 ppm, then the traffic police officer has the right to confiscate the driver’s license. Therefore, you should think carefully before getting behind the wheel of a car after drinking even a little alcohol.
Is it possible to fool the breathalyzer?
To dispel all sorts of myths, speculation, etc., we decided to check whether it is possible to fool the breathalyzers used by traffic police officers to identify drunk people on the road.
First, let's find out how a breathalyzer works.
See also: Can a driver be fined for not wearing a reflective vest?
A breathalyzer, or breathalyzer, is a device for assessing the alcohol content in a person’s exhaled air. The breathalyzer was developed by Robert Frank Borkenstein. This device was first registered under the trademark on May 13, 1954.
But the history of the breathalyzer began long before its serial sales began.
Thus, research into the possibility of using human breath to test alcohol levels in the body began at the end of the 19th century, when Francis E. Anstey established that small amounts of alcohol are excreted in human breath.
But Robert Frank Borkenstein, working in the US police and also as a professor at Indiana University Bloomington, created the world's first practical device that allows one to determine the alcohol content in the body from the air exhaled by a person.
If his first breathalyzer used chemical oxidation and photometry to determine alcohol in exhaled air, then later breath analyzers were improved and could determine the concentration of alcohol in the human body using infrared spectroscopy.
In 1967, Bill Doocy and Tom Parry Jones developed and sold the first electronic breathing apparatus in Britain.
Currently, the most common breathalyzers around the world are electronic breathalyzers with electrochemical sensors that determine the amount of alcohol in the exhaled air.
Breathalyzers with infrared sensors are less commonly used. Previously, breathalyzers with semiconductor sensors were also used, but due to the large error and instability of measurement reliability, such breathalyzers are practically not used at the moment, with the exception of cheap Chinese analogues presented on the mass market.
What does a driver face if he violates the norm?
In addition to the return of ppm, the responsibility for driving in a state has increased. If the fact of driving a car with an excess of alcohol, which is limited by law, is proven, the driver is obliged to pay a large fine and is deprived of the right to drive for 1.5-2 years.
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18+ Is it possible to drive after non-alcoholic beer and after a hangover? Breathalyzer Test Review of breathalyzers. Which breathalyzer gives the correct reading? Experiment "KP": how does a morning hangover affect the quality of driving? HOW MUCH TO DRINK IN THE EVENING TO BE DRIVING IN THE MORNING?
Correct behavior when testing for alcohol
Sometimes a tired and sick driver may appear drunk to the inspector. Cases of “collision” and attempts to obtain a bribe from the driver cannot be ruled out. Then you should behave correctly and obey the laws. This is explained in the video:
The first sign of a dishonest inspector is a cheap breathalyzer. They usually buy them with their own money. If the driver is sober and confident in the results of the alcohol test, then agreeing to a blood test is more profitable for him than for a selfish traffic police officer.
The most reliable way to fool a breathalyzer is not to drive while intoxicated or hungover. By doing this, you will protect yourself not only from the risk of losing your license, but also from getting into a traffic accident due to a slow reaction caused by alcohol.
Calculation algorithm
There is a convenient Vermak formula that allows you to calculate after what time the ppm indicator will be optimal for driving a car.
The following data is taken into account for the calculation:
- The alcohol content in the bottle of the drink you are taking. Dosage information is found on all labels.
- Weight of a person who drinks strong drinks. The final concentration of ethyl alcohol depends on the volume of blood in the human body. Volume, in turn, is related to body weight.
Since the effects of alcohol on men and women differ, a correction factor has been introduced. For women it is 0.6, and for men it is 0.7.
The formula looks like this:
Mass of alcohol in grams (see on the label) + weight (kg) + correction factor = number of ppm.
Despite all the variety of breathalyzers, the accuracy of their readings, as well as the many calculation methods indicating whether the alcohol content has evaporated, the most reliable way to avoid trouble is simply not to drink at least 24 hours before any trip.
How to measure alcohol concentration in the body
- Determination of the amount of alcohol in exhaled air. With this method, the car enthusiast breathes into the tube of the measuring device. The maximum rate is 0.16 ppm per liter of exhaled air.
- Determination of the amount of alcohol in the blood. This diagnostic method is used in medical institutions where a driver is admitted who is suspected of consuming prohibited alcohol-containing liquids. Blood is drawn for testing. The maximum value is 0.35 ml/l.
The second method is considered a more objective indicator. Ethyl alcohol is removed from a person for a very long time, so even with acceptable breathalyzer readings, during a clinical study, the test can still show the presence of intoxication.
Depending on the alcohol content, an indicator is calculated, which is called ppm, that is, the degree of intoxication.
0.1 ppm equals 0.045 mg of alcohol per liter of blood. This is a quantitative indicator.
Breathalyzers are used by traffic police inspectors to check the driver for alcohol intoxication.
It is important to know that when passing a breathalyzer on traffic police devices, the indicators will be calculated from the emitted vapors of the drink in the exhaled air, and not its content in the blood. . There are cases when there are no longer any traces of alcohol in the blood, but it will be detectable in the air
These are situations where the motorist has taken medications such as Corvalol, Valocordin, or valerian.
There are cases when there are no longer any traces of alcohol in the blood, but it will be detectable in the air. These are situations where the motorist has taken medications such as Corvalol, Valocordin, or valerian.
These medications contain alcohol. Although the maximum permissible dose of medication is very low, the device’s readings will indicate the content of alcohol vapor in the exhaled air. There will be no alcohol in the blood, since it will not have time to get there, immediately oxidizing in the stomach.
How many ppm the breathalyzer will show depends on the time elapsed since drinking alcohol and the dose.
Until 2013, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, the permissible amount of alcohol had to be equal to 0 ppm.
Today, the permissible level of 0.2 - 0.3 ppm in the blood is allowed only because the measuring instruments may have a factory error in the final data.
This is due to the different metabolism of people with high levels of endogenous, that is, natural alcohol. This range is also necessary so that a driver who has taken a drug containing alcohol can drive.
Types of breathalyzers
There are three types of devices that can measure the degree of intoxication. They differ in the type and reliability of information:
- Electronic breathalyzer. Any driver can buy it for personal use. The main element here is a semiconductor crystal, which determines the electrical conductivity of the vapor. These devices are easy to use, but the results may be inaccurate. However, there are some tricks to help trick them.
- Electrochemical testers. Traffic police officers are equipped with these devices. An electrochemical sensor acts as a sensitive element. Breathalyzer readings are highly accurate and difficult to fool.
- Spectrophotometric tester is a medical equipment. It is used in medical institutions. The measuring element here is an infrared sensor. The device does not need to be calibrated, it is accurate and cannot be deceived.
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Foods and drugs that slow down the absorption of alcohol
The first place among products that slow down the absorption of alcohol is vegetable oil. It acts within the first 30 minutes after alcohol enters the body. The oil particles are in fairly close contact with each other. They envelop the walls of the esophagus, intestines, mouth and tongue, so alcohol cannot penetrate inside and goes into the stomach. Then, within 30 minutes, the alcohol particles will begin to dissolve and decompose.
It is worth noting that the widespread information that after drinking alcohol you can drink a small amount of vegetable oil to quickly remove alcohol from the body is erroneous. A breathalyzer takes air from the lungs for analysis. It, in turn, contains alcohol vapor for about 10 hours.
How to choose a breathalyzer
There are times when the device is needed in everyday life. In this case, you can use a personal device. It is sold in pharmacies, so it will not be difficult to find it in any area of the city. The device comes with a table that shows the norms of alcohol content in the human body after drinking alcohol. From it you can approximately determine the concentration and take any measures. The disadvantage of cheap breathalyzers is the high probability of error.
Breathalyzer
How to choose a breathalyzer for personal use? First of all, it is worth establishing its functional purpose. This may be a commercial or household appliance. The first is intended for use in companies where pre-trip control is an integral part of the working day. The second one can be used at home, at work, at a meeting, etc. The difference between breathalyzers lies in the availability of a certificate and the cost of the devices. The error of a commercial unit does not exceed 0.1%, for a household unit - 10-20%. The second factor when choosing a test is frequency of use. The more often breathalyzer tests are performed, the more expensive the device should be. When choosing a brand, you must remember that breathalyzers are equipped with a touch panel, which may break sooner or later. Therefore, the city must have a service center for repairing the product.
Working principle of the breathalyzer
Just 10 years ago, fooling a breathalyzer was a relatively feasible task. Some tried to hold their breath, others tried to exhale, especially the smart ones plugged the hole in the device with their tongue, diligently puffing out their cheeks and imitating a conscientious exhalation. Today, such manipulations are unlikely to be successful, since a modern breathalyzer will immediately let you know that the volume of air is insufficient for analysis.
An electronic device that records the concentration of alcohol in exhaled air consists of a tube, a chamber, an analyzer and an indicator where the measurement result is displayed. Due to heating, the air entering the chamber is converted into steam, which acts on the analyzer. In this case, the electrochemical sensor records precisely the alcohol molecules, taking into account their content per unit volume.
The device is equipped with a buzzer that signals readiness for work, intake of air in the required volume and exceeding the alcohol threshold.
If alcohol was taken immediately before testing, the device will record it “in its pure form.” After about 15 minutes, alcohol molecules enter the blood from the digestive organs, and the breathalyzer already reacts to the alcohol content in the air from the lungs.
We recommend that you additionally read the article, which describes in detail how long alcohol stays in the blood.
We also advise you to read the article by our specialist, which talks about how the medical examination of drivers is carried out.
A specialist will tell you what rules it follows and why it is needed in a very useful and interesting article.
Thus, it is possible to mislead the device within 10-15 minutes, when after a couple of minutes the mouth is already “clean”, and the concentration in the blood has not yet reached critical levels. But, you must admit, meeting with the inspector in such a limited period of time is unlikely, and the aroma of recently consumed alcohol will inevitably overshadow the joy of the meeting.
Methods for masking odor that will not help fool a breathalyzer
Let's consider tactics for masking bad breath as a result of drinking alcoholic beverages. Don’t forget, these methods will not help you deceive breathalyzers; they will only divert suspicion from others from you. These options do not last long, and using them is not always pleasant.
- Anti-policeman. The most effective drug to eliminate any unpleasant odor. Made with essential oils that provide fresh breath and a pleasant aftertaste. Actively works from 30 minutes to 2 hours. The effect disappears immediately if you light a cigarette. Doesn't affect the chemistry of your breath, so breathalyzers will still detect the presence of ethanol.
- Coffee beans and dark dark chocolate. Both products have the ability to mask any odors. They are often used in everyday life, in perfumery, to overcome the persistent, unpleasant odor from various products and substances. In a situation with alcohol, coffee and sweets will only work if they are in the mouth. They will not affect the breathalyzer readings in any way.
- Spices and herbs. The most unpleasant way of masking, since in their pure form they have a very bitter aftertaste. Most often used in the fight against fumes: bay leaf, cloves and anise. But be careful, after chewing these spices, it will not be so easy to get rid of the aftertaste. A stem of fresh parsley is more pleasant. These options only work for a very short time, and rarely do they live up to expectations.
- Tobacco. Despite its own characteristic smell, it makes your problem even more pronounced.
- Mints and chewing gums. They, like tobacco, aggravate the situation. Fruit-flavored lollipops are better for camouflage.
How much time is needed to remove alcohol from the body?
Breathalyzers, as is known, determine the amount of alcohol in exhaled air, but do not react to the breakdown products of strong drinks.
In this regard, drivers with a hangover have a question: how long does it take to completely remove alcohol from the body and when, after taking intoxicating drinks, can you allow yourself to get behind the wheel?
The excretion of ethyl alcohol depends on the following indicators:
- the amount of alcoholic beverages consumed;
- quality of alcoholic products;
- strength of intoxicating drinks;
- individual characteristics of the organism.
The excretion of ethyl alcohol depends on many indicators.
With the quantity and strength of drinks, the matter seems obvious and easily varied. Individual characteristics are determined depending on the following characteristics:
- floor;
- age;
- weight;
- presence of diseases;
- alcohol consumption experience;
- other factors that cannot be predicted.
Two people who drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time will sober up at different rates. The time difference can be significant.
In most cases, it is only possible to determine how long it will take for alcohol to disappear from the body.
Those who hope that the alcohol level will decrease while the driver, who has been tested by a traffic police inspector, gets to the doctor's office of a narcologist, will be disappointed, since the process of removing alcohol from the body is significantly different from the process of introducing it.
Two people who drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time will sober up at different rates. The time difference can be significant.
Drivers relying on the testimony of friends or table readings most often end up in trouble, since individual rates of alcohol removal from the body vary by up to 30% over time. This may be sufficient grounds for conducting an examination and proving the fact of intoxication.
Permissible amount per mille
How many ppm is acceptable when driving a vehicle?
Answer: in exhaled air 0.16 mg/l, in blood 0.35 ‰ (ppm). This is data for Russia. Other countries: Ukraine and the Baltic countries - 0.2 ‰
Belarus - 0.3 ‰
Germany and most European countries - 0.3 - 0.5 ‰
UK, Canada - 0.8 ‰
USA - 0.4 - 0.8 ‰ (depending on the state)
1 ppm is a check. 3 ppm is life threatening.
How soon can you start driving? Answer: in order to avoid problems with the law and a threat to the life of you and others, it is better to start driving a car after completely removing alcohol from the body. The approximate time for ethyl withdrawal, taking into account your data and the amount of alcohol consumed, can be calculated using a special alcohol calculator.
Driving while intoxicated is not only dangerous to your health and the life and safety of other road users and pedestrians, but is also punishable to the fullest extent of the law. For this violation, your license may be taken away and, at best, a fine may be imposed.
However, judging by the traffic accident statistics, there are no fewer people drunk driving. even after toughening penalties and reducing the maximum non-punishable limit in exhaled air to 0.16 mg/l. For blood and urine, the permissible ppm is already 0.35
When identifying cases of a drunk driver driving a car, the experienced eyes and keen sense of smell of traffic police officers alone are not enough. The human factor is important. To eliminate errors in determining on the spot whether there is ethanol in the blood of a “caught” driver, devices such as a breathalyzer and a breathalyzer were created.
Is it possible to outsmart a breathalyzer?
It’s one thing to drink alcohol and take public transport or walk, but it’s completely different to drive. Remember, even a small dose of alcohol in the blood can cause danger to you and others.
If there is even the slightest opportunity to postpone traveling by personal transport, use it. If you still need to hit the road in your own car, then be careful, because lately there are traffic police posts at every turn, and they, in turn, will definitely not leave you alone.
Remember, government officials know all the existing methods of deceiving a breathalyzer, so you are unlikely to be able to lull their vigilance. Moreover, it is almost impossible to deceive modern devices for determining the amount of ethanol in your body.
But don’t despair, if you act correctly, you won’t have much of a chance to bypass the picky traffic inspectors and keep your license and the contents of your wallet.
How is the driver punished?
In case of driving while drunk, the driver will face the following penalties:
- For a primary violation. The driver is subject to a fine and deprivation of license for up to 2 years with a driving ban.
- For a second violation. The fine is increased and the term increases to three years. In addition, if the requirement to prohibit driving in a car is violated.
In addition, he faces imprisonment for the same term if he refuses to undergo a medical examination.
Short-term ways to cheat a breathalyzer
The most effective method of deceiving a breathalyzer is to carry out a preparatory procedure for checking the alcohol content. This can be done this way: a person should take several quick, but as deep as possible inhalations and exhalations. Using this method, you can reduce the performance of the device by almost 2 times. Accordingly, if the alcohol content in the blood is 0.32-0.38 ppm, this method will be effective.
You can also change the device data with the help of strong tea or coffee, if you drink it in one gulp right before taking the test. The method will last approximately 1.5 minutes, so you should decide in advance how to have time to drink coffee or tea before talking with the inspector.
Some people can fool the breathalyzer using a special breathing technique if their facial muscles allow it. The principle is that the device accepts only part of the air from outside. You will have to breathe into the device in any case, since it is necessary for certain sensors and sensors to work. The main difficulty in using this method is that all the above procedures will have to be done under the supervision of a police officer.
The effectiveness of each method
Above we have listed ways for drivers to fool a breathalyzer. However, the effectiveness of each method can be disputed or confirmed, which is what we will do next.
Vegetable oil
The oil will cover the walls of the stomach and intestines with a thin film and will prevent alcohol from being quickly absorbed into the blood.
Is it possible to fool a breathalyzer using vegetable oil? The answer is yes, only if you drink it before drinking alcohol. The oil will cover the walls of the stomach and intestines with a thin film and will prevent alcohol from being quickly absorbed into the blood. However, the oil acts for a certain period of time, and after a few minutes you will still begin to get drunk.
This method will work if, after drinking the oil, you took a small dose of alcohol and immediately got behind the wheel. Here it is important to get home in 15-20 minutes, while the oil works and prevents alcohol from being absorbed. In this case, if you are stopped while driving, the breathalyzer will show zero, since you simply will not have time to get drunk yet.
If you take the oil after drinking large doses of alcohol, this will only allow you to quickly remove the remaining alcohol from the intestines due to the laxative effect of the oil. But this procedure will not affect the ethanol concentration in any way, since the alcohol vapor is exhaled from the lungs.
Chocolate and coffee beans
Why does a breathalyzer show alcohol in a sober person?
If you chew coffee beans or eat chocolate, you will be able to remove the smell of alcohol and the inspector may not feel it, but you won’t be able to deceive the device. All drivers know what a breathalyzer is, and changing the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the exhaled air will not work in this way.
If you drink coffee or eat chocolate while hungover, it will most likely make your breath fresher and remove the consequences of a recent celebration from your face, so the inspector may simply not find a reason to use a breathalyzer.
Spices, chewing gum, candies
Ethanol detected in the body will not go away from the use of various spices
The ethanol detected in the body will not go away from the use of various spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc.), so it will not be possible to deceive the device. The same goes for onions and garlic. Not only will they not clog up the fumes, but they will also create such an aroma that, on the contrary, they will help to suspect you of driving while intoxicated even faster.
Eating chewing gum, sweet candies and lollipops may have the opposite effect. Due to the sugar content in them, intestinal bacteria can be activated in the stomach, which release alcohol during food processing. As a result, the concentration of ethanol in the body will only increase. This will add 0.2-0.4 ‰ to the device readings.
Warning: If you use an alcohol mouthwash, you will only increase the reading on the meter because you will be exhaling more ethanol.
"Anti-policeman"
Medicines like "Anti-police" are usually advertised as a quick way to fool the device
Anti-police medicines are usually advertised as a quick way to fool the device. This medication really accelerates the removal of ethyl alcohol from the blood and quickly eliminates hangover. The tablets have a prolonged effect, which promotes faster removal of alcohol from the body.
However, to deceive the breathalyzer, it is very important how many hours after drinking alcohol you are going to drive. If this happens 24 hours after the last use of alcohol and after 12 hours of regular use of Anti-Police, the device will show zero.
Fatty food
If you have eaten beer or another alcoholic drink with fatty foods, this may slow down the absorption of alcohol into the blood
If you have eaten beer or another alcoholic drink with fatty foods, this may slow down the absorption of alcohol into the blood. In this case, you will not get drunk so quickly, which will allow you to get home before the first signs of alcohol intoxication appear. Also, fatty foods help reduce the degree of intoxication, but the person will not sober up so quickly.
How to choose the right breathalyzer for personal use?
You can fool a breathalyzer in this way if you are driving home immediately after drinking and eating fatty foods. It is important that the trip is not long, because after 20-30 minutes the alcohol will still begin to be absorbed into the blood. The effect of eating fatty foods is similar to the effect of vegetable oil.
Ventilation
The disadvantage of this method is that it is very difficult to ventilate the lungs before the test without the traffic police inspector noticing.
Since a breathalyzer evaluates the degree of intoxication by the concentration of ethanol in the exhaled air, after enhanced ventilation of the lungs, the concentration of alcohol in the exhalation will temporarily decrease. If a test is carried out at this time, the readings on the device may be two times less than before enhanced ventilation.
Important: the device will show zero or its readings will not exceed the norm if the ethanol concentration does not significantly exceed the norm before ventilation. Otherwise, even though the device readings decrease by half, they will still be higher than normal.
The disadvantage of this method is that it is very difficult to ventilate the lungs before the test without the traffic police inspector noticing. If he notices this, he may suspect him of trying to deceive the device.
Acceleration of metabolism
You can significantly speed up your metabolism not only with the help of physical exercise, fitness and jogging, but also with the help of a steam room
You can significantly speed up your metabolism not only with the help of physical exercise, fitness and jogging, but also with the help of a steam room. In this case, toxins and alcohol are eliminated from the body faster. However, it will not be possible to quickly purify the blood, so it will not be possible to deceive the device. This measure is suitable as one of the techniques in a set of procedures aimed at cleansing the body of toxins and ethanol.
What to do to successfully pass an alcohol test
The breathalyzer quite accurately shows how much ethyl alcohol is contained in the air exhaled by the driver. This allows you to determine the degree of his intoxication. If a person knows that he is drunk, but still gets behind the wheel, he faces severe punishment. In an attempt to avoid it, many try to fool the breathalyzer, but this is not always successful.
Even if the device shows the permissible amount of ppm, but the traffic police officer is sure that the driver is drunk, it will not be possible to escape punishment. In this case, in the presence of witnesses, an act is drawn up, which will indicate information that the person refuses to admit that he is drunk, despite obvious signs of intoxication. Next, the driver will be taken to a specialized medical facility, where he will be examined for alcohol consumption.
Blood and urine tests will be mandatory, the results of which are almost impossible to falsify. Therefore, if a person is drunk, it will be proven in any case.
Many people are interested in what will happen if they stop using a breathalyzer. Lawyers are in a hurry to upset naive drivers. Of course, they have the right not to undergo a road test, but in this case they cannot continue driving, and the medical examination procedure becomes mandatory.
It is important to understand that attempts to deceive the breathalyzer will not lead to anything. If successful, the drunk driver will get back behind the wheel and continue driving.
Doctors warn that people rarely admit that they become distracted and inattentive on the road, but this is where the main danger lies. Such a driver often overestimates his capabilities and creates dangerous situations in which other road users may suffer.
It is best not to look for ways to fool the breathalyzer, but simply refuse to drive until the body is completely free of ethyl alcohol. Only this option guarantees the absence of health and legal problems. All of the above recommendations will only help speed up the process of sobering up.
In addition to eating fatty foods and taking medications, narcologists advise other methods, such as moderate physical activity or visiting a bathhouse. Both techniques are aimed at accelerating metabolism throughout the body. This means that ethanol will leave the tissue faster, but in this case the load on the heart and blood vessels increases, so you need to be especially careful not to worsen the situation.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=f1YJpabD8Bg%3Ffeature%3Doembed
What to do - advice from experienced people
So how can you fool a breathalyzer at work, at a checkpoint, or during an inspection by a corrosive inspector? Experienced drivers, who often return home tipsy from fun get-togethers, claim that there are such methods. So, what can help you avoid severe punishment? And how? We choose the best method and debunk established myths.
Vegetable oil
Good quality vegetable oil envelops the oral cavity and the walls of the gastrointestinal tract with a thin film and effectively prevents the absorption of ethanol for some time. It is worth using it if you have to return home immediately after drinking (in small quantities), and the entire journey will take up to 20 minutes.
But if a hangover has already developed, it will not be possible to fool the tester with oil. This product will help quickly remove the remaining ethanol from the body, but will no longer have any effect on the tester readings - after all, the alcohol will already have time to be absorbed into the body.
Coffee beans
Or dark natural chocolate. True, they will only help to cover up the smell of alcohol and will not give the inspector any reason to doubt your sobriety . Moreover, they will slightly increase your tone, because coffee and chocolate have a stimulating effect on the nervous system. Here we can only hope that if the patrolman slows down, he will not smell the smell and will not offer to undergo a check.
Fragrant spices
Bay leaf, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon. Especially onions and garlic. Such potions will completely remove any additional smell, but in return they will create a powerful amber. Yes, one that will certainly arouse an unhealthy interest in the patrolman and a strong desire to test the “fragrant” driver with a breathalyzer. In this case, it is better to leave all the listed products for the kitchen. They can play a disservice when communicating with a traffic police inspector.
How long does it take for alcohol to leave the body?
Sweets and lollipops
The positive effect of delicious candies, mints and chewing gum can only be achieved by trying to hide the alcoholic spirit. But the device will not react to goodies, but will successfully count alcohol molecules, and even in larger quantities than expected.
Sweet candies and chewing gum can increase your alcohol level. After all, these goodies activate the work of intestinal bacteria, which the body produces to process food. Accordingly, the rate of absorption of alcohol will increase.
Therefore, these sweets can increase tester readings by 0.3-0.4 ppm, thereby worsening the overall result . So this advice also turns out to be a “sweet” myth, and even potentially harmful.
Anti-policeman
But this is where advice really comes into play. These drugs from the Antipolitsay series are intended to quickly relieve hangover syndrome and accelerate the removal of alcohol metabolites from the body. By the way, the effect of these funds is quite long-lasting. If you use these drugs strictly according to the instructions, then a day after drinking, the measurement tester can already show the person’s complete sobriety. But not before.
The breathalyzer cannot be fooled; the most effective way is not to drink alcohol
Tobacco products
Is it possible to drown out the spirit of alcohol by smoking heavily, as some drivers advise to do? Unfortunately, you will have to forget about smoking in order to deceive the breathalyzer. The fact is that nicotinic acid only enhances and accelerates the process of ethanol absorption, which leads to even greater intoxication of a person.
And the appearance of a smoker after an alcoholic libation does not look the best. Such a person will in any way make the patrol inspector doubt the person’s sober state. And even if the device shows sobriety, meticulous inspectors can send a drunkard-smoker for a medical examination.
Drivers do not have the right to refuse a medical examination. In case of resistance and refusal to undergo medical treatment. inspection, the violator faces a fine and confiscation of his license.
Fatty food
It is known and already proven that eating heavy, fatty, filling foods inhibits the absorption of ethanol. At the same time, intoxication occurs unnoticed and delicately for a person, and does not fall with dizzying speed if drinking occurs on an empty stomach.
This time you can fool the tester, but on the condition that after taking a small amount of alcohol, you eat it with a fatty, rich snack and immediately go home. This time is enough not to get drunk along the way and not give the ppm readings. This effect is similar in effect to vegetable malo.
Methods for diagnosing alcohol intoxication
Ethanol enters the bloodstream just a few minutes after consumption. With the bloodstream, it is absorbed throughout the body, and after a quarter of an hour it can be easily detected in exhaled air and saliva. In addition, the presence of ethyl alcohol can also be detected in urine, since the renal system is directly involved in the processing of toxic substances.
It is the analysis of urine, saliva or exhaled air that helps to identify alcohol in the body and determine its concentration. Such a study can be carried out using a breathalyzer, indicator strips, or by laboratory testing.
Nowadays, such devices can be easily purchased either at a pharmacy kiosk or in a specialized store, especially since you do not need to take a prescription or permission for this. However, I would like to immediately note that the sensors of such devices will not show one hundred percent results, since there is a possibility of errors. The most accurate data can only be obtained in a clinical setting. Therefore, you should not completely trust such devices. Of course, they will not show the exact concentration of ethanol, but they can confirm the fact of alcohol intoxication.
Test strips: method of use
Diagnosis using strips does not require specific skills. This method is quite simple and easy to use. Strips coated with an indicator substance at the end effectively determine the fact of alcohol intoxication. But the disadvantage of the test is that you will not get accurate data on the amount of ethanol contained in the body.
So, how to test at home. Place the strip with the indicator in your saliva - after a few minutes you can determine the result. The degree of intoxication is assessed by the color change of the indicator part. The kit includes an instruction manual, which includes a rating scale. But basically, the indicators of such devices have a digital range from zero to two ppm.
The strip cannot be reused as each strip is intended for one-time use. If we evaluate the financial side, the cost of test strips is relatively low, so anyone can purchase them for home testing.
Indicator tubes for home alcohol testing
This device consists of a tube sealed on both sides and filled with a special substance that reacts to alcohol. The device is intended for single use only.
So, to carry out the test, open the tube and put a special mouthpiece on the hole farthest from the chemical reagent. Attach a respiratory cylinder to the opposite side of the device.
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Exhale deeply through the mouthpiece until the balloon is filled with exhaled air. If there is alcohol in the body, then the yellow reagent will change color and turn green.
The cost of the test tube is reasonable, so the device can be purchased for home use without any problems. The advantage of the device is that it is very easy to use, and the research indicators are very accurate.
The most common devices
Below are the most popular breathalyzers that are used by traffic police officers.
- "Jupiter". A fairly fast device that is capable of giving very high results with a low error of up to 0.01 mg of ethanol per liter. Equipped with a built-in printer. It warms up quickly enough and reboots quickly. It is characterized by high cost.
- "Alcotector pro-100". It is the most popular device used in practice due to the low error of the results, up to 0.05 mg/l, and low cost. Equipped with a built-in printer for printing receipts. Analyzes quickly.
- "Alcotest 6510". A very fast device with high measurement accuracy, up to 0.05 mg/l. It is distinguished by high reliability and quality. The downside is that it takes a long time to reboot the device, up to about two minutes.
How can you change the breathalyzer readings?
There are several ways to change the breathalyzer readings. Most often it is recommended to chew coffee beans, bay leaves, parsley, etc. However, these methods do not give the desired result. With their help, you can only kill the smell of alcohol for a while, but not reduce its content in the blood. To undergo a pre-trip inspection, the next day after a feast, you must have a hearty breakfast, which will speed up the removal of alcohol from the body and reduce its content in the blood.
Pre-trip inspection
There is also another way that will help reduce samples to tabulated standards. This is hyperventilation of the lungs, in which you need to take several deep breaths and then blow into the tester. In this case, the values may change by 0.01-0.04 mg/l. There are rules for the procedure:
- First of all, you need to take several deep breaths and no less full exhalations, then inhale and immediately exhale into the device.
- Air retention in the lungs before measurement is unacceptable, because leads to an increase in vapor content in the lungs.
- The exhalation can be not quite complete, but sufficient for measurement. This will reduce the content of ethyl vapor in carbon dioxide. If you exhale little air, traffic police officers will be forced to ask you to repeat the procedure, which is associated with certain risks.
With an initial degree of intoxication corresponding to less than 0.19 mg/l, this method is quite effective, and with new readings you will not be deprived of your driver's license, and the pre-trip control will be successfully passed. The combination of the above two methods will give the best result. However, with a higher concentration of alcohol in the blood, hyperventilation of the lungs will not lead to the desired effect.
Before the feast, you can drink sunflower oil, which will reduce the absorption of alcohol through the walls of the stomach into the blood and its further entry into the lungs. However, this must be done before the celebration begins, because... the reverse procedure will lead to the opposite effect. Alcohol will already enter the blood, but will enter it much more slowly, which will prolong the state of intoxication for an indefinite period, and breathalyzers will show a consistently high content of ethyl vapor in carbon dioxide.
One-man theater
Physical activity on the body, during which the metabolism accelerates, can lead to positive results during tests. Thus, after the feast, go for a run or give another type of exercise. After this, absorbents that bind alcohol and promote its removal from the blood are well absorbed. Drinking tea or coffee has a positive effect.
Breathalyzers will show lower readings if you drink an effervescent vitamin after drinking alcohol. However, its effect appears after quite a long time. There is a version that white chocolate helps bind alcohol in the blood and accelerates its breakdown. How true it is can be checked using your own breathalyzer.
How to fool a breathalyzer if the feast took place yesterday, and today there is still fumes left? For these purposes, a personal test is also ideal, through which you can measure the level of vapor content in the exhaled air. If the regulatory table allows such content, then there is nothing to worry about; if not, then you should use one of the proven methods that work.
Advice from experienced drivers
Those who like to drive drunk claim that they know reliable methods for fooling a breathalyzer. These include:
- vegetable oil;
- coffee;
- Bay leaf;
- garlic;
- gum;
- chocolate;
- mints;
- nutmeg;
- ventilation;
- fatty foods;
- Activated carbon;
- cigarettes;
- steam room;
- drugs from the Anti-police series.
All these means can affect the breathalyzer readings to varying degrees.
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil will help fool the breathalyzer. It envelops the oral cavity, the walls of the esophagus and intestines with a thin film, preventing the rapid absorption of alcohol into the blood. It can be used in cases where, immediately after drinking alcohol in small quantities, you need to get home in 15–20 minutes. Then the question of how to fool a breathalyzer disappears by itself, since you will not have time to get drunk, and there will be very little alcohol in your blood.
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The laxative effect of the oil can be used in a hangover, after washing the stomach in order to quickly remove residual alcohol from the intestines. This will not affect the readings of the device, since the vapors are exhaled from the lungs, and it will not be possible to fool the breathalyzer.
Coffee, chocolate
Experienced electronic device cheaters advise chewing coffee beans and eating chocolate to fool the breathalyzer. In this case, the inspector will not smell the alcohol. The device reading may change by a few tenths. This will not save the driver from having to give up his license.
How to fool a breathalyzer with a hangover from coffee and chocolate? Drinking these drinks will make your breath fresher and remove traces of fatigue and hangover from your face. The inspector simply will not see any reason to use the device. In this case, you managed to fool the breathalyzer.
Aromatic products and spices
Some drivers are interested in whether it is possible to fool the breathalyzer using bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Onions and garlic occupy a special place. All these products do not remove the smell of fumes, but in combination with new ones, such an odor is formed that it can knock down a weak traffic police inspector, but not deceive the device.
The device is electronic and reacts only to alcohol molecules; foreign aromas of any intensity cannot affect its results.
Mints, lollipops and gum
Is it possible to fool a breathalyzer with sucking sweets and chewing gum that freshen your breath? Sweet foods increase the amount of sugar in your blood. Consequently, they can increase the alcohol content by activating the work of intestinal bacteria that secrete alcohol for processing food products. This indicator for the average person is at the level of 0.2 - 0.4 ppm, which will be added to the device reading.
The positive effect of this method of fooling a breathalyzer is easier breathing and pleasant communication.
"Anti-policeman"
Anti-police medicines are advertised as a way to fool a breathalyzer. They accelerate the removal of alcohol from the blood and eliminate hangover syndrome. Their effect is long-lasting and the remaining alcohol will leave the body several hours earlier. Is it possible to fool a breathalyzer with pills? Yes, one day after drinking alcohol and 12 hours of regular use of Antipolice.
Smoking
Will the air exhaled into the tube be able to fool a breathalyzer with impurities? Cigarette smoke will only worsen your appearance and condition and increase the chance of being tested by a breathalyzer. Nicotinic acid accumulates in the body and in large quantities (2 packs per day) puts a person into a state of mild narcotic intoxication. The amount of alcohol in the blood and exhaled air does not decrease, and the device does not react to smoke.
You won't be able to fool a breathalyzer, but the punishment for using drugs while driving is harsher. The appearance of a heavy smoker is such that even a sober person is suspected of being in an abnormal state for driving. This is a great chance to be stopped by an inspector and checked on a device, and even sent for a blood test.
Fatty foods in large quantities
How can you fool a breathalyzer by stuffing your belly full with heavy food? Foods high in fat slow down the absorption of alcohol into the body. Intoxication occurs gradually, manifests itself in a milder form and lasts longer. It is possible to cheat the breathalyzer if, after drinking a small amount of alcohol, you snack on fatty foods and immediately go home. The effect is similar to vegetable oil.
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Ventilation
How to fool a breathalyzer by exhaling air and chewing aromas is shown in the video:
There is a result, a decrease in alcohol consumption by almost 2 times. You can fool a breathalyzer if the level of alcohol in your blood is close to the permissible reading. But this is short-term and deep breathing requires time, which the driver stopped by the inspector does not have.
Steam room and fitness
Sweat removes toxins and alcohol from the body. This process is lengthy and it will not be possible to quickly cleanse the blood. If you drank in the evening, and you have to go in the morning, then this is one of the methods of a set of measures. You can’t fool a breathalyzer just by steaming for a few hours.
Activated carbon
Removes all alcohol and its breakdown products from the stomach. Helps cleanse the blood faster. You should take at least 1 tablet per 10 kilograms of weight, preferably more. There are no negative side effects, only increased gas formation, which will not help deceive the breathalyzer and the inspector.
Zeolite sorbents are classified as dietary supplements. The cleaning effect is stronger than that of the well-known coal. Toxins are eliminated gently, without bloating, 2 hours after administration. All alcohol is also not removed from the blood.
There is a proven way with a 100% guarantee on how you can fool a breathalyzer - drink water instead of vodka.
Review of ways to cheat a breathalyzer
Most drivers are well aware that driving while drunk is extremely dangerous, so after a feast they call a taxi and go home as passengers.
This allows you to avoid terrible accidents, injuries, vehicle breakdown, and problems with the law. It is a mistake to believe that a drunk driver on the road is difficult to recognize. In fact, ethyl alcohol changes human behavior, which will undoubtedly affect his driving style. Such drivers cannot maintain an adequate distance, make decisions about changing lanes spontaneously, forget to turn on their turn signals and do not notice signs, traffic lights, and pedestrians.
All this will attract the attention of a traffic police officer, who has the right to check the driver for alcohol intoxication.
On the Internet you can find many different tricks that help to one degree or another. However, most of them often turn out to be completely useless, especially if the police officer has a modern electronic device at his disposal. Conventionally, all recommendations on how to fool a breathalyzer can be divided into several groups:
- Changing your breathing technique. If the breathalyzer is an old model, then you can simply try to simulate exhalation, but with new models that have an automatic air intake function, this is pointless. However, there are special techniques that allow you to exhale a minimum of ethanol, which can lead to an underestimation of readings.
- Eating food with strong aromas. Many people believe that to fool a breathalyzer it is enough to cover up the smell of alcohol with something else. Mint chewing gum, seasonings and spices are used, but these tricks are unlikely to help. Ethanol vapor does not disappear anywhere when using such tactics.
- Eating foods that slow down the absorption of alcohol. There is another method that involves eating food, the components of which envelop the walls of the gastrointestinal tract and prevent ethanol from fully penetrating the bloodstream. In this case, the breathalyzer will indeed not show the highest results, but the degree of intoxication of the person will be lower.
- Taking medications. Some drugs even have names that suggest that they can be used to fool a breathalyzer. Thus, drivers sometimes take Antipolitsay, but in case of severe intoxication, this measure will not allow the device’s performance to be lowered.
- Use of mouth fresheners. Menthol or mint deodorants are also bad at fooling breathalyzers. Experts explain that, on the contrary, they can increase the amount of ppm of alcohol in the exhaled air.
Modern breathalyzers are fairly accurate devices, so it is extremely difficult to fool them. The most effective methods of artificially lowering performance usually come down to accelerating the elimination of toxic ethanol from the body, which affects the ability to drive a vehicle.
Is it possible to fool a breathalyzer? Traditional methods
Popular methods of eliminating signs of alcohol intoxication can be divided into three groups.
- Drugs that slow down the absorption of alcoholic beverages into the blood from the gastrointestinal tract (fatty foods and vegetable oil).
- Methods that enhance metabolism and accelerate the elimination of alcohol breakdown products from the body (physical activity, bath procedures, drinking plenty of fluids).
- Masking tricks (various products that have a deodorizing and refreshing effect).
Let's take a closer look at the most popular folk methods.
Vegetable oil and fatty foods
Vegetable oil actually envelops the mucous membranes of the digestive organs, preventing the intense entry of alcohol into the blood, but this period can be stretched out for no more than half an hour. This method is partially justified if a small amount of alcohol was taken at once and you plan to get home within half an hour.
Fatty foods in large quantities have a similar enveloping effect. In addition, due to the fact that the enzyme system works hard to break down complex fats, the rate of alcohol absorption is somewhat reduced. However, contrary to the existing myth, oils and fats do not bind alcohol molecules and do not naturally remove them from the body unchanged. Alcohol is still absorbed and is present in the exhaled air for up to 10 hours.
Bath and physical activity
Both methods are applicable only in cases of mild alcohol intoxication and are based on stimulating metabolism and speedy removal of alcohol markers from the body, mainly due to intense sweating.
The bathhouse or sauna should be warmed up enough that you can stay inside for no more than 5 minutes. After each use, you should wash off any excrement products from your skin. The downside of the technique is that it takes quite a long time. So, in order to remove the alcohol contained in a liter of low-alcohol drink from the body, you will have to spend 2-3 hours on the bath procedure.
Effective physical exercises include running, swimming, push-ups, pull-ups on the horizontal bar - in short, everything that makes a person sweat properly.
On the one hand, the “cleansing” effect of the bath and physical activity applies to everyone and does not depend on the individual characteristics of the body, on the other hand, such procedures are not recommended for everyone. They are not recommended for older people and those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases.
Drink plenty of fluids
Many people are interested in whether it is possible to fool a breathalyzer by drinking heavily of water and soft drinks. Drinking clean water, especially acidified with lemon juice, really reduces the level of intoxication in the body. However, about 90% of alcohol is eliminated through the liver, so the method does not guarantee a significant reduction in the concentration of alcohol in the blood, and therefore in the air leaving the lungs.
Masking methods
Such techniques are aimed at eliminating the smell of alcohol and increasing overall tone. Chewing coffee beans, parsley leaves, bay leaves or cloves will briefly eliminate the characteristic smell of alcohol, but will not affect the breathalyzer readings. Both mint chewing gum and oral deodorants are powerless against the inexorable device. You should be especially careful with the latter, since many of them contain ethyl alcohol.
Drinking a cup of coffee or strong tea a minute before testing is considered a fairly effective way to influence the alcohol meter’s verdict, but performing such a trick in front of a traffic police officer is quite problematic. The advantage of the listed manipulations is that they help to cheer up, increase concentration, visually appear sober and thereby lull the vigilance of the guard.
Breathing techniques
Hyperventilation of the lungs, that is, several forced inhalations and exhalations immediately before testing, can reduce the breathalyzer reading by 10-15%. At the same time, holding your breath, on the contrary, increases the measurement result of a modern electrochemical device. In addition, the device can react to a lack of air volume. The technique of intermittent breathing, when the exhaled air stream mixes with the street air, helps to relatively reduce the readings of the breathalyzer. The difficulty in implementing both techniques is that they must be used under the watchful eye of a representative of the law.
How to pass a breathalyzer at work at the checkpoint
Many factories and enterprises test their employees for blood alcohol levels. First of all, this method is practiced for the safety of the employees themselves, if their activities require increased attention and concentration, and working while intoxicated can be life-threatening.
Most often, enterprises use high-precision breathalyzers, which provide results with minimal error. Therefore, there is no chance of deceiving such a device. If the company uses one-time tests to check the air from the lungs or cheap devices, you can take a shower, go for a run before work, or take an Anti-Police pill. There are a lot of methods to speed up the removal of alcohol from the body. However, they do not guarantee that a person will be able to pass a breathalyzer with a hangover.
The fastest way to lower your breathalyzer readings for a short period of time is to hyperventilate your lungs. It is carried out by taking several slow breaths and sharp exhalations immediately before taking the test.
An employer has the right to ask an employee to undergo a test or medical examination for blood alcohol content only if he suspects him of drinking alcohol. To do this, it is enough for the employee to have 3 signs from the following list:
- unsteadiness when walking;
- Red eyes;
- unclear speech;
- imbalance;
- changes in skin color;
- the smell of alcohol;
- change in pupil size.
An employee has the right to refuse to take the test. In this case, in the presence of 2 witnesses, an official statement of refusal is drawn up, and the employee is suspended from duties for the entire day without pay for this period.
How to “outwit” the device - basic techniques
Now let's talk about whether it is possible to deceive this harsh device, which is in service with traffic police officers. A certain effect can be achieved by arranging light forced ventilation of your lungs. This is done with several quick breaths and exhalations before you are allowed to “breathe into the tube.” However, you should never hold your breath - in a short period of time this will only increase the level of alcohol vapor in oxygen.
If you have a little time, you can force the alcohol to leave your body faster. In this case, a short run with exercise will be useful. Strong coffee, tea or absorbent substances should do a good job. As for anti-hangover drugs, even they are not a magic pill. First of all, it takes a certain amount of time for alcohol to leave your body.
A well-known way to deceive traffic police officers is to chew dark chocolate. It is enough to eat a few pieces to eliminate the bad breath that contains alcohol and decay products. However, a breathalyzer analyzes the air that is exhaled not from the mouth, but from the lungs. Therefore, it will not be possible to get out of the situation with the device in this way.
It may be possible to deceive the nose of a traffic police officer, but a breathalyzer is definitely not possible.