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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