Today’s Solutions: August 16, 2026

Money can make you sick. Bills, coins and credit cards are dirty. Studies have shown they carry bacteria, fecal matter and even drugs. When analyzing 68 one-dollar bills, researchers found that 87 percent of the bills carried bacteria that “could cause an infection in anyone with a compromised immune system, such as people with HIV or cancer.” Cash can carry not only bacteria that could make you sick but also drugs, such as cocaine. “Drug traffickers often use coke-sullied hands to move cash, and many users roll bills into sniffing straws; the brushes and rollers in ATMs may distribute the nose candy through the rest of the money supply.” In 94 percent of bills tested, pathons, including staphylococcus, were found. Using bitcoins has many intended and unintended benefits. But one such unintended benefit is minimizing your risk of bacteria exposure and becoming sick.

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