There is good news for bar-goers concerned about their blood alcohol level at the end of the night.

Disposable breathalyzers, compact devices that let individuals measure their blood alcohol content, have been slowly growing in popularity. Some experts believe the devices may help lower Madison’s high percentage of alcohol-related arrests and accidents.

“It’s an excellent idea to provide something to the general public,” said Larry Kamholz, Madison Police Department public information officer. “We obviously have a number of arrests every night.”

Kamholz said he tested several disposable breathalyzers last year, one of which indicated alcohol concentration by a change in the color of crystals contained inside a small, clear plastic tube.

To use the device, a person squeezes the tube to break the inner glass containing the crystals. Next, the user blows into the tube for 12 seconds, shakes the crystals, and waits two minutes for the crystals to change colors. If the crystals become aqua colored, the user’s blood alcohol content is above the level being tested.

Columbia Lab Services president A.J. Mitchell, whose company sells the disposable breathalyzers, said each breathalyzer does not measure a range of alcohol levels, so the company sells five different products. Each type measures a distinct alcohol level.

The highest level tests blood alcohol levels upwards of 0.10 percent, the point of legal intoxication in Wisconsin.

Although the breathalyzers are used to check alcohol content, the results of the tests cannot be used as legal evidence to prove a person’s state of intoxication.

“That would not be something that would hold up in court,” Kamholz said.
Although Kamholz liked the portable breathalyzer concept, he said the instructions need improvement.

“The instructions are very lengthy,” he said. “Someone intoxicated won’t be able to focus because they are way too cumbersome.”

Despite these drawbacks, a variety of people find the disposable breathalyzers useful.

Some police forces use them as a screening device, though the Madison Police Department does not.

Mitchell said a larger market for the breathalyzers exists in personal use, especially for checking legal ability to drive.

“A lot of people use them to check themselves when they leave bars or restaurants,” he said.

The use of portable breathalyzers among students, however, is somewhat different.

“A lot of students buy them just to play with or to see how [intoxicated] they’ve gotten” Mitchell said.

When people use the devices to decide whether they should drive, Mitchell said they must remember alcohol takes 30 to 45 minutes to reach the bloodstream.

The instructions on the BreathScan" portable alcohol detector advise users to wait 15 minutes after their last drink before testing themselves or to drink a glass of water. Users are also advised to refrain from driving at all if the crystals change color.

“If you test right after you drink, your level is still going to go up,” he said.
Portable breathalyzers are sold in some stores, and can be purchased on the Internet. Several companies sell the breathalyzers.

“They are definitely available to the public,” Kamholz said.

The cost of the portable breathalyzers from Columbia Lab Services is $21 for a pack of ten, if ordered over the Internet.

Although Kamholz said the portable breathalyzers he tested need improvement before he feels confident endorsing them, he said the current devices are somewhat helpful.

“If there were something disposable that gives immediate results, it would be a huge asset to everyone,” he said. “But at least something’s out there.”