# Can pennys help pass a breathalizer?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pennys-help-pass-a-breathalizer/77718>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 23, 2001, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pennys-help-pass-a-breathalizer/77718 "2001-08-23T13:56:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cidcojoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@cidcojoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cidcojoe)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pennys-help-pass-a-breathalizer/77718/1 "2001-08-23T13:56:55Z")

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When I was in highschool my friends and I would always ahve arguments over whether or not pennys would lower your reading on a breathalizer test. I always thought that it waj just made up but many of my friends swore it worked. What the deal?

Joe Cervantes

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pennys-help-pass-a-breathalizer/77718/2 "2001-08-23T14:01:30Z")

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I don’t think Pennys will help you. Try Macys or Neiman Marcus.

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pennys-help-pass-a-breathalizer/77718/3 "2001-08-23T14:16:25Z")

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Obviously we need some facts on this. Go try it out and let us know how it works…

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pennys-help-pass-a-breathalizer/77718/4 "2001-08-23T14:26:03Z")

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Could you elaborate on the question a bit, do you mean pennies as in copper coins or are Penny’s some brand of something or other (I’m in the UK, humour me).

Perhaps if you could detail exactly what it is you’ve heard and why it’s rumoured to work, we can examine it in a bit more detail.

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**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-pennys-help-pass-a-breathalizer/77718/5 "2001-08-23T14:28:13Z")

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I don’t think pennies would help you pass a breathalizer test.

And you are asking how to break the law.

This is not the place to find out how to break laws. This is closed.

**DrMatrix** — General Questions Moderator