Sucking a Fishermen's Friend could get you into trouble

Police in Germany are warning motorists that sucking a Fishermen's Friend could get them into trouble.

It comes after a 24-year-old driver was found to be over the legal drink-drive limit during a routine control in Munich.

He was taken to the police station where blood tests found he had no alcohol in his system.

The man was released after officers found the strongest thing he had taken was a Fisherman's Friend.

Forensic doctor Thomas Gilg said the essential oils contained in the throat sweets reacted in the same way as alcohol on hand-held breathalysers.

He said in tests they found just three of the mentholated sweets could cause a motorist to test three times over the legal limit.


http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1552495.html?menu=news.quirkies

Jay Leno would love this one. Good find Cass.

Casshew said:

sucking a Fishermen's Friend

Click to expand...

That just sounds all kindsa wrong!

What is Fisherman's Friend?

Fishermen Friend - extra strong throat cough drop

INGREDIENTS:
Active Ingredients:Per Lozenge: Menthol 10 mg.
Inactive Ingredients:Capsicum; Dextrin; Eucalyptus Oil; Natural Licorice; Sugar; Tragacanth

Menthol - taste(essential oil)

Capsicum - extract of chili peppers

Dextrin - general formula for starch

Eucalyptus Oil - supress cough( the essential oil)

Natural Licorice - for taste

Tragavanth - Today, tragacanth is used mainly in manufacturing as a thickener or stabilizer. When combined with liquids, tragacanth absorbs water and expands, forming a thick liquid or a gel, depending on how much liquid is added. This effect helps to keep the ingredients in combination products from separating.

So I am really at a loss as to how this common throat drop can mimic alcohol........

Especially when you blow into a breathalyzer, you breathe from your lungs, deeply and prolonged......

I am perplexed........really I am.........

CyberLaw said:

Fishermen Friend - extra strong throat cough drop

INGREDIENTS:
Active Ingredients:Per Lozenge: Menthol 10 mg.
Inactive Ingredients:Capsicum; Dextrin; Eucalyptus Oil; Natural Licorice; Sugar; Tragacanth

Menthol - taste(essential oil)

Capsicum - extract of chili peppers

Dextrin - general formula for starch

Eucalyptus Oil - supress cough( the essential oil)

Natural Licorice - for taste

Tragavanth - Today, tragacanth is used mainly in manufacturing as a thickener or stabilizer. When combined with liquids, tragacanth absorbs water and expands, forming a thick liquid or a gel, depending on how much liquid is added. This effect helps to keep the ingredients in combination products from separating.

So I am really at a loss as to how this common throat drop can mimic alcohol........

Especially when you blow into a breathalyzer, you breathe from your lungs, deeply and prolonged......

I am perplexed........really I am.........

Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm perplexed, too!

Well I am SO glad that I am not the only one.........

Next time I go to the Doctor's I am going to ask....really I am..I am courious by nature and love a mystery and I would like an answer to this.......

I hope this Scientist writes a paper on this......I would be dying to read it......

O.K. I will concede that it MAY have something to do with menthol. But until I see something explaining this.........but usually with a high reading, it will be called a false positive............

Breathalizer measures the air exhaled form your lungs and the actual alcohol contained therin--NOT the odor of alcohol

Cass - the title of this thread is downright nasty! (I love it!)

Yakwoman