[ldanielrosa]

Are there many substances that are nontoxic and will give false readings on a breathalyzer?  I have been fantasizing about making a "candy" that will give a reading of 10 times lethal dose of alcohol- obviously impossible from someone standing.

[enahs]

Some cough syrups are enough to highly elevate the level the breathalysers detect, as well as even mouth  washes or sprays, etc. That is why in most states in the US the indication of being over the limit with a breathalyser will not hold up into court, and why they do you officially book you for them. That just is a good indication as to when to take people back and do a more detailed blood test.

So yes, just a ethanol candy would work.

[Borek]

Probably other low molecular mass organic molecules will be oxidized just like ethanol (so they will give false readings), but they are in most cases that I can think of more toxic than ethanol.

[P]

on a similar note..   I was once told that if you chew on a cardamon seed before taking a breathalyzer test that it would have the opposite effect to what you are looking for. i.e. if you are over the limit but chew a cardamon seed then you may actually pass the test instead of failing.

Does anyone know if this is true or not?  I've done a very brief search and not found anything yet.

[billnotgatez]

P-
Sounds like a fun experiment.
Let us know your results