How A Simple Alcohol Test is Changing the Way the Military Works

Sure, police use breathalyzers – but did you know you can use them too?  Alcohol related accidents on the road are extremely common – according to MADD in 2007 36% of those involved in fatal crashes during the night hours were alcohol impaired.  No one wants to lose a loved one to an alcohol related car accident.

Nor does the military want to lose one of its’ own.  That is why the military hands out Breathscan alcohol tests – in specially-made for the military keychains.  At Fort Benning, Georgia, officials handed out 100,000 of them in a year’s time.  They offer great endorsements of this alcohol test as a self-policing mechanism.  Staff Sgt. Tenesia Vann for example says of the tests, “If I go to a gathering where people are drinking, I want to be able to hand them out. I think they could be a deciding factor in convincing people not to get behind the wheel” (AP link here).  Master Sgt. James Smith says of the portable alcohol testing unit ”It’s a good way to not get into a confrontation with a buddy, in case they’ve been drinking…It’s impartial. It lets you say, ‘Hey, let’s let this be our guide.”‘

These military officials are so pleased with the test because if offers you quick results and is FDA approved.  The Breathscan comes in two versions at Home Health Testing – 0.02% and 0.08%.  0.02% represents a zero-tolerance level, while 0.08% will test to see if you are legally over the limit and impaired enough to receive a DUI – in any state.   Both tests have the same procedure.  Squeeze the middle of your alcohol test to safely break a glass tube and release the crystals that will indicate whether you are alcohol impaired.  Blow into the tube, lay it flat and wait for the results.  If the crystals remain a shade of yellow, the level of alcohol impairment is below that tested for by the Breathscan you have.  If the crystals turned blue or blue green then you are over the level of the test.

This is a simple and affordable aid to making responsible decisions about drinking, if only an aid.  You can purchase one of these tests or a saliva alcohol test at Home Health Testing.

Staff Sgt. Tenesia Vann at Fort Benning, Georgia, said she grabbed half of dozen of the tiny breathalyzers when she first arrived at the base in January.

“If I go to a gathering where people are drinking, I want to be able to hand them out. I think they could be a deciding factor in convincing people not to get behind the wheel,” said the 35-year-old administrative assistant. “I keep them at home in case I have people over for a cookout.”

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