Have you heard you can beat a breathalyzer test with pennies? I’m Amy E. Feldman.
Witnesses called the police in Lincoln, Nebraska, after seeing a driver knock over a mailbox. The police tracked down the driver, who displayed signs of intoxication. When administering a breathalyzer test, the police noticed that the man had a penny in his mouth, likely because he’d heard that you can beat a breathalyzer with copper so you should put pennies in your mouth to beat the test. That belief is so prevalent that in a separate incident, a Florida man who was pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving was also found to have a mouth full of pennies.
Too bad for both drivers that urban myth is just false. There’s no science there. It doesn’t affect the results of the test. But if you’re headed to any end of summer parties where alcohol will be served you should know that there is one surefire way to beat a drunk driving rap. Call a cab if you have been drinking. If you don’t, you should save your pennies. You’ll need them for a lawyer.
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