For a little more than $20 ($20.45 to be exact) you can use the Backlight Alcohol Tester – Alcohol Analyzer from AllPuter.com to check your alcohol level. There are versions compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S4 / S3, Note and more. The device features an LCD digital display that lights up in 3 different colors depending on the alcohol it detects on your breath. You won’t be required to install any special apps, just blow into the air hole and an alarm will buzz if the level is in excess. They also claim that the Backlight Alcohol Tester has the ability to identify cigarettes, coke, coffee smells and prevent non alcohol gas to interfere the detected result. The fact that this gadget doesn’t require any software makes me think it’s only using the phone as a power source and nothing else. I’m not a drinker… anyone have experience with this type of gadget? Do they actually work?
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Hi Julie, love the site.
I’ve been in law enforcement at the local and state level for almost 20 years, and things like this are novelty items. The handheld alco-sensors we tend to use for roadside sobriety cost hundreds of dollars.
Most of these devices work on the premises of detecting a certain level of blood alcohol content by breath, and then signal you if it is over that mark, presumably the per se limit for DUI (which is .08 here in Virginia).
First, they may or not be accurate. There’s no way to tell. Second, like every device of this type, they must be calibrated to remain accurate if it ever was to begin with. Third, it might encourage someone to drive when they have in fact had too much. As always, it’s best to not drive after consuming anything at all. As a rule, the human body can remove one drink per hour based on a 12 ounce beer, 5 ounce glass of wine, or 1 ounce shot of spirits. If you have had more than that, and it’s been less than an hour, well, the alcohol is adding up in your body. Further, even if you have less than the legal limit, depending upon your tolerance, you may still exhibit prevalent signs of intoxication which will affect your driving, walking, and so on.
My professional opinion is you get what you pay for, and this $20 might cost you a DUI, which besides being extremely dangerous and potentially fatal, can also cost you thousands of dollars, a loss of license, and jail time. I’d pass on this one.
John
@John thank you so much for your expert opinion. It’s what I guessed, but having no real experience with that type of gadgets, I wasn’t sure about the tech behind it.
You beat me to the post, John. I’m also a fellow Virginia LEO and was going to ask about calibration. Our portable ones are done once a month. I would be worried about it going out of calibration and the user not knowing, gets behind the wheel. Novelty item for home use, but I wouldn’t take the chance on trusting it at a bar.
I have one simple rule: drinking and driving don’t mix. The minute you suspect your blood alcohol level might be too high, then you’ve already got a very good reason not to drive at all, despite the outcome of this device.
Those $20 can be spent better by making sure you’re in the company of a designated driver, buy him/her an alcohol-free drink, and enjoy your favorite beverages without any worries.