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Will Gin-Soaked Raisins Fail Breathalyzer Test?

Q. I have just taken up gin-soaked raisins for arthritis. So far, so good; they seem to be working.

My employer requires random urine testing for drugs and Breathalyzer testing for alcohol. Will this remedy cause a false positive? We are not given the option of a blood test to prove our compliance with their zero tolerance policy. Several employees have been terminated because of the urine/drug test.

A. Make sure you eat your gin-soaked raisins after work, rather than in the morning. It is unlikely that you would fail a Breathalyzer test for alcohol based on nine gin-soaked raisins. Nevertheless, this might be possible if the test were done shortly after you ate them. According to our analysis, there is about a drop of alcohol in nine properly prepared raisins.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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