reshroomED Posted May 17, 2006 In no way condoning drink-driving, but this may be worth knowing. I'm a measurement and control system specialist, and on a job a few years back was told by a tech that "Fisherman's Friend" cough lolloes would fool a breatho. The story was that it was the eucalyptus oil in them (only works with "Original" flavour) that stooged the sensor. He had no technical data to back this up, but swore that he'd beaten a breatho whilst well-pissed with this method. Being a bit of a Fisherman's Friend junkie I thought "well. that can't hurt". Eighteen odd months back I was driving home from a day in the bush. Probably had three stubbies in six hours, no drama. But I finished the last one just coming over a hill into town. Breatho ahead. Whacked two fishos into my mouth as I started to slow down to stop and chewed. Had to swallow the last bits to blow in the bag, and blew .00. As I said, I have no technical explanation, but it definitely seemed to work for me. ed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dodie Posted May 18, 2006 Ive had a mate tell me the same thing, First when he was at uni a lecturer said of a lollie that beat the breathaliser but wouldnt say which, and again with his brother being a doc. HE found out it was fishermans friends, he told me of a story of a mate drivinh him around after having a "few" drinks eating fishermans friends and blowing .00.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alice Posted May 18, 2006 from Wiki: breathalysers estimate BAC indirectly by measuring the amount of alcohol in one's breath. Three technologies are in use: 1. evidentiary machines, used by police forces, which generally utilize infrared spectrophotometer technology; 2. less accurate hand-held electrochemical fuel cell-based instruments, used by officers in the field and commonly called PBT (preliminary breath test) or PAS (preliminary alcohol screening); 3. and semiconductor oxide based testers, cheapest and least reliable but becoming increasingly popular for personal and professional testing applications. did a search to try and find out what type is the portable device used by NSW police, and couldn't find anything... anyone know? either way, the estimate of BAC from a breath test is based on the assumption that the amount of alcohol in your lungs (ie breath) is in equilibrium with you blood alcohol content. This makes sense when you consider that the primary purpose of our lungs is gas exchange. which is of course an equilibrium process. now, there are many factors that may cause the reading from a breathalyses to misrepresent (under or over read) your actual BAC.... Scientific basic of breath tests a. Effect of Temperature: b. Atmospheric Pressure: c. Cellular Composition of Blood: d. Physical Activity and hyperventilation: e. Changes in water content of expired air: f. Radio Frequency Interference (RFI): however non of these quite fit in terms of eucalyptus lollies... so what do we thinks happening here? perhaps, since eucalyptus oil is quite soluble in alcohol, the volatile eucalyptus oil in your mouth interacts with the alcohol coming off your lungs due to their solubilities. this could perhaps "weigh down" the alcohol, so it sinks down and sticks to your tongue, in much the same way that carbon dioxide sinks to the floor coz its heavier that O2 and N2. this would mean that it would be best to blow slow to allow the ethanol-eucalyptus oil to settle. hmm.. i dont think that the oil would react with the ethanol... and so ethanol-eucalyptus vapour should have the same absorbance as tested by the spectrophotometre breathalyser... and the fuel cell breathalyser uses platinum to catalysed the oxidation of alcohol, and the products/byproducts of this reaction are measured by monitoring the change in electrical current in the device, but i cant see how eucalyptus would prevent or mask the oxidation of the alcohol... hmm... any thoughts as to what chemical process may be occuring to validate the Fishermans friend theory? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Anton Posted May 18, 2006 This myth has been around for ages and i even got a pack when i noticed them at a servo and left them in my car door. Although ive never had the chance to use them and put it to the test. (other then their purpose of course) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hagakure Posted May 18, 2006 mythbusters tried to beat those things a while back but their study was fairly limited and im guessing if they did find something the police would not want them putting it on their show. there are those breath analysers in casinos and some bars pay a buck to test breath would be different model but next time you are pissed near one and happen to have some fishermans friends (some pretty tough requirements i know) give it a go. i will try and rememeber but dont get pissed too often now days Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mescalito Posted May 18, 2006 This has been around since I first got my license but no-one I know ever anecdotally proved it to work. I remember the mythbuster episode but I'm sure they didn't use "fishermans' friend" specifically.....hmmm I know that cardamom is a traditional Auyurvedic antitode for alchohol abuse so maybe the fisho's friends contain cardamom?? be a lot cheaper too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hagakure Posted May 18, 2006 if i chew a whole lot of ginseng i dont get as drunk. helps metabolise alcohol. chewing just before a breatho probably wouldnt help though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
