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DUI: Does Sriracha Sauce Mask a Breathalyzer Test?

Question: I got arrested for DUI in Atlanta. Before I took the breath test, just before the Atlanta cop came to my car door, I drank a lot of Sriracha sauce. I keep a bottle of the hot sauce in my car and I even have a tiny bottle on my keychain.

I heard that if you eat Sriracha hot sauce before you take a breathalyzer test then the machine doesn't register the test. All my friends think that if you use Sriracha before a breath test for DUI then you don't have to worry about the breath test no matter how much you have had to drink.

I was driving on Courtland Street after having been to a few bars. I had maybe 5 drinks and a couple of beers. I had a pretty good buzz.

When I saw the cop's blue lights I just started drinking the Sriracha out of my big bottle. And when I was stopped I drank from my keychain bottle. So I thought I'd be fine taking a breathalyzer test.

The problem was that when I took the blow test I got a .195. The test was really high. I don't think the Sriracha did anything. Have you heard about the Sriracha sauce trick? Does it really mask a DUI breath test?

A.L. in Buckhead

Answer: Yes, there is a persistent rumor that drinking Sriracha hot sauce before taking a DUI breathalyzer test will mask your breath and cause a much lower test reading.

However, we have not seen any evidence for this effect, nor do we think it is scientifically plausible based upon the contents of Sriracha: chili, sugar, salt, garlic, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite and xanthan gum.

Just in the past few weeks we have gotten a couple of phone calls and emails regarding Sriracha. Apparently it is a fast-spreading rumor on social media and the Internet.

So while Sriracha may be a flavorful addition to many types of dishes, its ability to prevent an accurate breathalyzer test is questionable at best.

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