Breathalyzer Story of the Day
From the Ananova news service:

A Bulgarian school is reporting an improvement in student grades after introducing a breathalyser test for teachers.

The headmaster of Hristo Botev school in Vratsa brought in the tests for all teachers after students complained they were turning up smelling of beer and the local home-made spirit rakia.

Headmaster Victor Krastev said: "At first the teachers thought I was joking but they soon got used to the test, and it works perfectly - now they are all as sober as babies and we have seen a 15% improvement in grades."

He said he planned to pass on his experiences to other headmasters who claim they have the same problems with staff.
March 20th, 2007

In-Car Alcohol Detection Systems
Toyota is developing a system - based on steering wheel sweat sensors - that will detect if a driver has consumed excessive alcohol, and which will be able to shut down the vehicle. The company reportedly expects to start installing the system in cars by the end of 2009. Nissan is also working on in-car breathalyzers. More here.
January 4th, 2007

 

Alc-Mobile Sales Boom in Japan
I've written previously of the Alc-Mobile, a combined breathalyzer/telephone that lets transportation companies monitor their drivers' blood-alcohol levels. Yahoo! News now features it:

When drivers blow into a tube on the machine, the device measures their level of intoxication and immediately sends the results to their company's computer via the phone.

And the drivers have nowhere to hide. The phone -- called the Alc-Mobile -- transmits snapshots of their faces and details on their location using the satellite-based Global Positioning System.

If the driver is inebriated, sirens will ring at the bosses' computer.

KDDI says sales of the Alc-Mobile have shot up since this summer when a nationwide campaign against drunk driving followed the deaths of three children by a drunk driver in the southwestern city of Fukuoka.
December 30th, 2006

Car Breathalyzers? Are You MADD?
Considerable media comment on a call from MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) for breathalyzers to be installed in the cars of drunk driving offenders. The breathalyzers would be capable of shutting down the car motor if they detected alcohol.

Two companies have recently introduced products that hint at future strategies. Saab, which is owned by General Motors, is testing in Sweden a Breathalyzer that attaches to a key chain that will prevent a car from starting if it senses too much alcohol. Taxi companies and other fleet owners are the target market, a company said.

A New Mexico company, TruTouch Technologies, is modifying a technique developed for measuring blood chemistry in diabetics and using it to measure alcohol instead. The appliance shines a special light through the skin on the forearm, and analyzes what bounces back. Future devices might read alcohol content when the driver's palm touches the steering wheel or gear shift lever, experts said.

A columnist at Network World examines the issue and asks:

Anyone believe this technology will work perfectly? Didn't think so. What about false positives? Will my prescription medications render my car a useless hunk of junk? What happens when the technology simply malfunctions? Who will have the expertise to fix it? The mechanic on the corner? Will there be special repair facilities? And how do you get the car there if it won't start?

That's just two cups of coffee worth of questions. I'm sure you can add to the list.
November 21st, 2006

Saab Begins In-Car Breathalyzer Trials
Automobile.com provides an interesting report on plans by Saab to test its AlcoKey in-car breathalyzer system:

The AlcoKey is linked to the cars on-board security system and immobilizer. Before starting the vehicle, the driver must blow into the AlcoKey's breathalyzer for three seconds for the system to take a reading. Immediately the key will illuminate either a green light, which disarms the engine immobilizer via a wireless signal, or will flash a red-light, which shows that the car is still armed. From the time the all-clear signal is given, the driver has one minute to start the engine.

...The AlcoKey will begin its trial test shortly on 100 different government and taxi fleets. Saab's own executives will also be participating. Saab estimates that on a production car the AlcoKey would retail for roughly 3,000 Swedish Kronors ($410) and could be fitted to any of its vehicles.
October 19th, 2006

Breathalyzer for Japanese Commercial Drivers
This is an interesting development from Japan - a video phone incorporating a breathalyzer. Transportation companies are buying them for their commercial vehicles, and requiring drivers to make a phone call to head office and then to blow into the device. Because the unit incorporates video, it is impossible for someone else to take the breath test. A company computer performs an analysis of the driver's breath.

October 3rd, 2006

More on the iPod Breathalyzer
A couple of days ago I mentioned (scroll down) the iPod breathalyzer. Now everyone's onto the story.

Here's Sci Fi Tech:

Just fold out the little straw and blow for five seconds to see if you're drunk enough to have an excuse to be listening to Journey or if you really just have lousy taste. It seems strange that a breathalyzer would double as an FM transmitter, as once you determine that you're too soused to drive you can stream your music to your car stereo. Wha? In any case, if you're drinking so often that you think a personal breathalyzer is a worthwhile investment, perhaps you should spend that money on a cab to get your drunken ass to AA.

Gizmodo:

I've been writing about iPod accessories since the beginning of time, and this is no doubt the best one I've ever seen. Call me an alcoholic, but having a breathalyzer is pretty damn important. A breathalyzer is the perfect device to determine how ugly of a girl you can take home that night and still be considered okay—oh and it can determine the legal limit for driving, too.

Engadget:

You know that people are trying to jump on the iPod bandwagon when someone releases a breathalyzer that connects to the ubiquitous music player....Sticking out of the side of the device is the breathalyzer tube, and within five seconds it'll read out your blood alchohol content level, accurate to within 0.01 BAC -- oh and if that wasn't enough, it doubles as an FM transmitter for your car stereo. That just leaves us with one burning question: will Mr. Steele be sending one to recently DUIed Paris Hilton?

And Slash Gear:

The iPod accessories industry is a big business, and we’ve seen many weird ones such as iPod toilet paper docking. Introducing another weird accessories for your iPod called iBreath, an add-on to your iPod featuring a Breathalyzer and FM wireless transmitter.
September 13th, 2006

Breathalyzer - the Music
Scroll down this web page of New Zealand music events to learn of the world premiere on September 23rd of Breathalyzer, from the Manukau City Symphony Orchestra:

The world premiere of John Rimmer's Breathalyzer, inspired by an encounter with a police breath-testing unit in central Auckland at 10am on a weekday morning, has police watching the orchestra closely. Mr Rimmer comments on his new work, commissioned by MCSO with the financial assistance of Creative New Zealand: 'The mood of the piece varies from degrees of anxiety as if a guilty verdict were about to be delivered to a joyful, romping exuberance, a relief perhaps from a negative breathalyzer test result.'
September 12th, 2006

The iPod Breathalyzer
A breathless press release announces the iBreath iPod Breathalyzer with FM wireless transmitter:

The innovation called the iBreath® is an iPod accessory that includes a fully functioning breathalyzer and an iPod FM transmitter that transmits your iPod tunes to any FM tuner. It’s expected to be one of the hottest selling items this holiday season with the perfect combination of entertainment and safety already garnering significant buzz.

You can read more (and buy it) at David Steele Enterprises.
September 11th, 2006 

Just How Drunk
The TMZ.com website contains a feature, "Just How Drunk is Steve-O?" It's about someone named Steve-O testing the AlcoHawk Micro breathalyzer. Or, as the website says:

So what did the shirtless wonder Steve-O think of this product? Our brave tester informed us that he "went to war with a bottle of vodka" before giving the AlcoHawk a try.

The result? I don't know. You have to watch an online video, and it wouldn't work on my computer.
September 7th, 2006

Smart Start
The Laramie Boomerang (lovely name for a newspaper) carries an interesting report on the Smart Start program, which involves attaching a breathalyzer to a car ignition, so that the car won't start if the driver has been drinking. You can read more here about Smart Start.
September 4th, 2006

 

Breathalyzer Watch

First it was the cell phone equipped with a breathalyzer. Now comes a watch with a breathalyzer attachment, from A&A Product Company in Hong Kong. Gizmodo writes:

When you are plastered into an oblivion time doesn't really matter, does it? So put your wristwatch to another use by determining precisely how sloshed you are....It will be available later this month for around $100.
August 10th, 2006

Breathalyzers for Schools
Lifeloc Technologies has announced that it is providing demonstrations of its FC10 Plus breathalyzer at the National Association of School Resource Officers conference in Palm Springs. According to the announcement from the company:

The FC10 Plus offers “passive” testing, allowing for a simple “positive” or “negative” instantaneous test to be administered without using a mouthpiece. Tests can be repeated hundreds of times in rapid succession, allowing event coordinators to test students quickly at a very low cost. Passive testing can also be utilized to detect the presence of alcohol in beverage containers.

Read more about the Lifeloc FC10 Plus Breathalyzer.

July 17th, 2006

New Breathalyzer

AK Solutions USA has announced the release of the AlcoMate Prestige breathalyzer. A press release says:

The AlcoMate Prestige is the first product of its kind to feature patent-pending "pre-calibrated replaceable alcohol sensor modules," which means that the Prestige is the only portable breathalyzer on the market that never requires re-calibration.

The Prestige gives industry professionals a convenient and reliable method of monitoring blood alcohol concentration, and altogether eliminates the costly, time-consuming method of traditional re-calibration which involves physically shipping breathalyzers back-and-forth, to-and-from service centers.

By offering simple "snap in, snap out" replacement of alcohol sensor modules, the AlcoMate Prestige can reduce the delay caused by sensors in need of calibration from several days to just several seconds.
July 12th, 2006

A Perfect Combination

The Sunday Times reports on plans by LG to introduce its breathalyzer-equipped mobile phone, the LP4100, to the British market [note that the newspaper wrongly attributed the device to Samsung]:

Britain is seen as one of Samsung’s largest potential markets because of the popularity of binge drinking and gadget-packed mobile phones with young people.

July 10th, 2006

Breathalyzers Not So Sharp
Retailer Sharper Image is being forced to reimburse customers who bought its breathalyzers in the belief they were highly accurate. The Monterey County Herald reports:

Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo announced Friday that his office has reached a settlement with the Sharper Image Corp. for falsely advertising the accuracy of a line of breathalyzers. Under the terms of the settlement, the corporation will pay a $100,000 penalty and reimburse consumers who purchased the devices, a restitution that could amount to $1.2 million.

The case involved Sharper Image's advertising and sales of a digital breath alcohol tester, a personal device that purportedly measured a consumer's breath alcohol level. Marketed under the model numbers BT 300, BT 301, and BT 302, the devices were said to be "accurate to .001 percent blood-alcohol level.

The case was initiated by the San Diego City Attorney's Consumer Protection Unit after a city employee compared the device's results to a breath tester used by the city's police department during a training program. According to the complaint, joined by the district attorney's office, the device was not accurate.
July 8th, 2006

LG LP4100 Cell Phone with Breathalyzer

An ABC News report says that Korean manufacturer LG plans to introduce its LP4100 breathalyzer-equipped cell phone to the US market during 2006.

The company placed several models on the market in [South Korea] last year and already has sold more than 200,000 units.

...Here's how it works: Users blow into a small spot on the phone, and if they've had too much to drink the phone issues a warning and shows a weaving car hitting traffic cones.

...The LP4100 also allows users to set up the phone so on certain nights and after a certain time they do not call certain people in their phone book. Think ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend.

If you have a blood alcohol level over .08, the phone will not let you dial that person. So it not only promotes sobriety, but chastity — and probably your dignity, as well.

LG previewed the unit at CES 2006, and it attracted some media attention (with multiple appearances of the headline "Friends Don't Let Friends Drink and Dial"). Continue reading...

June 28th, 2006

Breathalyzer Beat
Please check out a new mini-website that I have created, Breathalyzer Beat, intended as a brief buyer's guide to professional breathalyzer resources.
June 20th, 2006

New Breathalyzer from Lifeloc
Breathalyzer company Lifeloc Technologies has introduced a new model, the Phoenix 6.0.

A press release from the company states:

The new Phoenix 6.0 device is highly intuitive, with fast, digital operation based on patented software design. Its simplistic electronic calibration, numerous safeguards and self-diagnostics even incorporate a built-in barometric pressure sensor, all of which help eliminate factors that might render breath alcohol detector results invalid. Built-in EasyMode(TM) software guides the operator through testing sequences with instructions on a large, bright, LCD screen displaying text messages, graphic icons, and precise test results.

The U.S. Department of Transportation mandates that test results must be printed, recorded and acknowledged by the individual. The Phoenix 6.0 facilitates this evidential alcohol breathalyzer testing, incorporating a 250-test internal memory, wireless connection, and a new, patented PermAffix(TM) printing and labeling system. This system produces tamper-evident, self-adhesive labels perfectly fitted for DOT forms -- allowing convenient and legible documentation of breath alcohol detector results in just seconds.
May 27th, 2006

AlcoScan Breathalyzer - Love the Contour
The Gearlog website continues its (very unscientific) breathalyzer tests, by taking the AlcoScan AL6000 to a student party. The conclusion:

We consider the AlcoScan AL6000 from AK Solutions the most ergonomic breathalyzer of them all, considering its fabulous contour design. It's a great addition to your collection of ergonomic keyboards, desk chairs, and computer mice. Not to mention, it's a great trend-setter because it not only comes in standard black/silver, but in a shiny black/red, too! We like.

...Overall Impressions. Simple to use. Fairly accurate. Great party toy. A bit bulky for your purse or pocket. Comes with an awkward-shaped case and the device fits too snugly in the case. She wouldn't buy it for herself since she's a mass transit user, but she might buy one for a friend who drives.
May 18th, 2006

If There's No Sober Person Around To Recalibrate It For You, You're In Trouble!
The Gearlog website continues to review breathalyzers, with a test of the Brookstone Digital Alcohol Detector:

Everyone at the party stood in line to try the breathalyzer. Bennett felt that it provided seemingly accurate readings with different people. For example, it gave a lower reading for the guy having beers as opposed to himself, who was rocking the hard alcohol cocktails. It even provided a zero measurement to the most responsible member of the group, who was drinking just Coke.

Overall Impressions: He was impressed with the Breathalyzer’s accuracy, and liked how small and easy it is to slip into pockets. But having the same button that both powers the device and triggers the device calibration procedure makes it way too easy to recalibrate by accident. And if there's no sober person around to recalibrate it for you, you're in trouble!
May 12th, 2006

AlcoHawk ABI - Handy for Impatient Drunkards
The Gearlog website (which bills itself as "a gadget guide by geeks for geeks") carries reviews of the AlcoHawk Slim and the AlcoHawk ABI breathalyzers.

It was hardly the world's most scientific test:

I was actually surprised that after only 2 drinks I had a .05, so it just goes to show it doesn't take much. As for my boyfriend, I put him to bed and placed a bowl next to him while he slept just in case, well, you know.

And the conclusion?

Both AlcoHAWK devices are designed by the company Q3 Innovations. I liked the AlcoHAWK Slim because it fits right in your pocket or purse. I felt that it was pretty accurate, but it takes awhile to warm up. The AlcoHAWK ABI is a bit bigger than the Slim. It's actually the company's best selling unit. The ABI takes less time to warm up than the Slim does, which is handy for impatient drunkards. If I had to choose one over the other, I'd go with the ABI, just for the fact that it seems more accurate (since it's DOT approved) and comes with a car charger.
May 6th, 2006

The BreathKey Breathalyzer
The Cincinnati Enquirer features the BreathKey, a digital key-chain breathalyzer that can give people a quick measurement of their blood alcohol concentration before they get in their cars. According to the article:

BreathKey is about the size of a keyless entry remote for a car. It is the only digital key-chain breathalyzer to be certified by the FDA. Three other key-chain breathalyzers certified by the FDA use a color-coding system to indicate blood alcohol concentration.

BreathKey also is the only consumer key-chain breathalyzer to use a fuel-cell alcohol sensor, the same type of sensor found in breathalyzers used by law enforcement.

You can read more about the BreathKey here.
May 5th, 2006

New Breathalyzer - AlcoHawk Slim
Q3 Innovations' new breathalyzer, the AlcoHawk Slim, made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show, and has attracted some media attention.

PopHomeTech reported:

This handheld device uses a sensitive semiconductor sensor to test blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from .00 to .40 percent. To operate, you simply press the button on the handheld device, wait for the countdown on the screen to reach zero, then blow into the mouthpiece for five seconds. Your BAC reading will appear on the screen within four to five seconds after the breath sample is taken.

According to the Rocky Mountain News:

Have you ever gotten behind the wheel when you maybe shouldn't have? The AlcoHawk Slim digital breathalyzer from Q3 Innovations aims to let you know when you've had too much to drink.

Britain's HEXUS.net wrote:

So there was team HEXUS, coherently walking around CES when team HEXUS was confronted by the people from one booth and promptly breathalysed.

Luckily they weren't trying to catch the team out, and indeed levels were within limits. Rather, they were showing off their latest digital breathalyser - the AlcoHAWK Slim. The device is FDA- and DOT-cleared, plus it's easy to use, giving a result in seconds. For the drivers out there it's perhaps a useful device to have. There's no word on UK availability, but its MSRP in the US is $69.95.
January 17th, 2006
 

Breathalyzer Boom in Australia

Aussies are stocking up on breathalyzers, according to a report in Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper. Yet at the same time the local Choice magazine has warned that personal breathalyzers are a waste of money.

According to the newspaper:

Retailers have reported record sales of personal breathalysers in the past two months as the police blitz on yuletide drink-drivers moves into top gear.

Breathalysers are the top-selling accessory at Autobarn, with almost 7,000 Sober Checks sold this year. Store product manager Peter Cheney said demand had been highest in the past month….Mr Cheney said parents often bought the devices for children.

An article based on the Choice magazine report says:

Drinkers who use personal breathalysers to test if they are over the limit are wasting their money on useless gadgets, new research has found. The study, in which males and females of varying age and weights tested six personal breathalysers, found many were inaccurate - in most cases recording over-cautious results.

…Choice said it would not recommend buying any of the six models tested. "While they won't have you thinking you can drive when you can't, you might just as well stick to one drink as pay for a device that doesn't discriminate any better than that," [Choice spokeswoman Lisa] Tait said. "There might be more accurate personal breathalysers out there, but finding one you can trust could be pretty hit and miss."

December 13^th, 2005

"Tragedy Waiting to Happen"

Canadian police and the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) organization are expressing concern about $6 pocket breathalyzers.

"Using the pocket breathalyzer is like playing Russian-roulette with your life and the lives of other motorists," said MADD Canada's Chief Executive Officer Andrew Murie. "These personal breathalyzers can be inaccurate in their readings and, therefore, are not at all a reliable read of a person's intoxication level. More importantly, they encourage the risky behaviour of drinking up to a certain limit. This product is a tragedy waiting to happen. It's dangerous."

Peel Insp. Steve Dolan, head of the force's traffic unit, also ripped into the devices and the people who use them. "These drivers are not in tune with the concept of zero tolerance that our officers promote and enforce when it comes to drinking and driving," he said. "This device may give people a false sense of security."

December 1^st, 2005

 

“A Little Breath Test She Wasn’t Expecting”

Cheap micro-breathalyzers aren’t especially accurate, and are not recommended for drivers who have been drinking and want to check if they’ve gone over the legal limit.

But a story in North-West Indiana’s The Times newspaper suggests the devices do serve a purpose:

Brad Campbell suspected his young stepdaughter was drinking alcohol whenever she and her friends went out at night, but she strongly denied it.

Until one Friday night.

Campbell, an electronics importer and exporter, decided to have his stepdaughter try a new product he'd received from China -- a $10 Micro-Breathalyzer.

"She took a little breath test she wasn't expecting and the device lit up like a Christmas tree," Campbell said.

The girl was held accountable for her actions and the drinking problem went away, Campbell said.

Now Brad Campbell is selling the devices to parents concerned that their children are drinking. He has sold 1,800 units in three months, with proceeds going to alcohol-related charities.

November 29^th, 2005

Cell Phone Breathalyzers

The Orange County Weekly’s Trendzilla column features a snide but fun commentary on new South Korean cell phones that incorporate breathalyzers.

All this useless beauty: coming soon to a store near you. In Korea, just before just-in-time-for-the-holidays, a company called LG releases three new cell phones, the SD-410, the KP-4100 and the LP-4100—each with a breathalyzer, so Koreans can breathe into it at 3 a.m. to ascertain whether to booty-call their exes or drive home.

The question is, why do they need a telephone to tell them how lit they are, when their wives would do the job cheap—with a frying pan? On the head. Also, why do you need a breathalyzer on your cell phone? The last one’s easy: because they say you do.

November 26^th, 2005

If You Have to Ask…

Following the case of a woman who got arrested for driving after drinking just one glass of wine, the Washington Post has taken a look at two cheap personal breathalyzer devices. They are the Alcohawk Checkpoint ($24.99 for 12 single-use tubes) and the Legal Limit Breathscan ($3.99 for a key chain holder and one tester).

The conclusion:

Though some reports vouch for the accuracy of certain handheld testers, many experts say that self-testing is not a good idea. (Legal Limit is marketed as a device for testing a possibly drunk friend.) An accurate reading depends on breathing properly, and "if you're impaired, you're more likely to mess it up," said Robert Shesser, chairman of emergency medicine at George Washington University Hospital. His advice: If you've been drinking and "think you should take a breathalyzer test, you shouldn't be driving."

November 23^rd, 2005