The most obvious question regarding whether personal breathalyzers actually work is: are the devices accurate? Does the breathalyser indicator actually reflect the BAC of the user. In large part this depends on the model of breathalyzer, the type of sensor the breathalyzer uses, and the calibration and maintenance that the breathalyzer has received.

The BACTrack Select S80 uses fuel cell sensors and retails for around $249.99.

Many of the professional grade hand held breathalyzers that use fuel cell technology sensors measure the electrical charge produced by electrochemical interactions with alcohol.  Fuel cell sensors are less likely to give false readings from ketones in diabetics or from cigarette smoke or mouthwash. However, they do require calibration or replacement of the fuel cell sensor.

Other breathalyzers use semi-conductor sensors to measure the amount of alcohol released as breath from the lungs. These breathalizers come in a variety of accuracy levels, depending on the materials used. Some of the semi-conductor models are as accurate as fuel cell breathalyzers while others are much less accurate. For an accurate breathalyzer you should expect to spend over $90, and you should be very leery of the cheap mini-breathalyzers with an accuracy of +-.02 or greater.

Besides the accuracy of the device police officials have expressed concern over drivers using a breathalyzer and gaining false confidence in their ability to drive. This means that even if a breathalyzer accurately reflects your BAC and indicates you are under the legal limit, you may still be arrested for a DUI, or DWI, if the police officer believes you are impaired. Thus, a breath alcohol test may not work to prevent a DUI arrest. In nearly all states the legal limit is .08, but studies have shown that drivers may become impaired at levels as low as .05. Thus, a person should use caution in deciding to drive based on a BAC level close to the legal limit.

There are also concerns of breathalyzer devices being misused as a device for party or drinking games. There are reports of drinking games consisting of using an alcohol breath test to see who can achieve the highest BAC. Such as games may cause blood alcohol poisoning resulting in severe vomiting, coma inducement, or even death. Such games are particularly prevalent and dangerous for inexperienced drinkers such as teenagers and college students.

In short, if you wish to use a personal breathalyzer ensure you purchase a professional grade device with the greatest accuracy possible. This means one around +-.005. There are a variety of models that can achieve this level of accuracy, but they must be properly maintained and calibrated, which does have additional costs. In addition, the user should realize the limitations of the device and that regardless of the breathalyser results, they may still be charged with a DUI if impaired. Finally, do not abuse any type of breath alcohol test by using it in a drinking game to compete for the highest BAC. Check breathalyzer reviews on specific models.

If the set level of alcohol is exceeded then the crystals will change colors to indicate that the breath alcohol content level has been exceeded. These devices come with a range of breath alcohol content levels, including .02, which detects any traces of alcohol in the breath, .04, .05, and .08.

The benefits of disposable alcohol breath testers are that they are cheap, compact, and easy to use. These disposable breathalyzers also do not require batteries or re-calabration, which provides additional savings. Further, these tests do not react to gases other than alcohol.

The drawbacks to disposable alcohol breath testers are that they do not provide a specific readout of the alcohol content in the person’s breath, and some fear that they may not be accurate enough to tell someone whether they are within a specific legal limit.

Check Breathalyzer Reviews to look at other personal breath tests.

A keychain mini-breathalyzer with green, yellow, and red lights to indicate blood alcohol content.

Many of these mini-breathalyzers do not provide an actual number indicating you blood/alcohol content but rather use a system such as a red, green, and yellow light to indicate whether you are safe to drive.  A green light indicates you are safe, a yellow light means you should be cautious and perhaps wait to drive, while a red light means you are over the legal limit.  However, it is important to know the DUI/DWI laws in your state to know the legal limit and to use a number to gauge how close your blood alcohol content is to that legal limit.

There are reports of police officials warning against the use of mini-breathalyzers, indicating that they may provide people with a false sense of security in their ability to drive.  Law enforcement officers often note that drivers may be arrested for driving under the influence despite registering under the legal limit on any type of breathalyzer.

There are some mini breathalyzers that are more reliable and provide a numerical readout for you blood alcohol content, but of course, these will be more expensive. And, as law enforcement officials point out, no breathalyzer guarantees safety from a DUI.

A typical example of a mini keychain breathalyzer is the GTMax Alcohol Tester. This small keychain breathalyzer comes with a stop watch and LED light.

Breathalizers and ignition interlock devices, also known as “in car breathalyzers,” are commonly used by law enforcement or are part of a court order requiring their use by an individual, usually after a DUI or DWI offense. Many states are passing stricter legislation regarding the use of ignition interlock devices (IID). Missouri requires ignition interlocks for repeat offenders.

An installed ignition interlock device.

However, these devices are also available to the public for personal or business use.  For instance: parents may wish to ensure the safety of their children by installing an ignition interlock device on their teens vehicle; a business may require the use of in car breathalyzers for their employees to cut down on liability risks; or an individual may wish to use a hand held breathalyzer to test their blood-alcohol content before driving (it is important to note that the results of such tests will not preclude a DUI/DWI offense).  For monitoring teen children or employees some ignition interlock devices have GPS attached in order to locate a vehicle with a failed interlock device.

Many people also wish to carry a personal breathalyzers in order to monitor their own blood alcohol content before driving.  These personal breathalyzers come in a variety of types and sizes and vary greatly in price. The cheapest and smallest breathalyzers are often referred to as mini-breathalyzers.

As with any decision, when deciding whether to use a breathalyzer or ignition interlock and in deciding which brand and type to use it is important to gain as much information as possible before making the purchase.  Some factors, which will be discussed greater in later blogs, include ease of use, reliability, price, and installation.  Hopefully, by using the information provided in this blog and the links available here, you will be able to pick the right breathalyzer or ignition interlock for your purposes.

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