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.
About Us
If you've been arrested for DUI you need a top-rated Atlanta DUI lawyer. That's us, and we're to help. Call us anytime at (678) 712-8561.
If you have a question for a DUI attorney in Atlanta, email it to us with some supporting facts (the more details you give, the more specific our response) and we'll do our best to answer it quickly.
Experience counts. And our experience as a former Magistrate Judge, Assistant attorney General and Senior Assistant County Attorney allows us to get the best possible outcomes for our clients.