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3 Smartphone Breathalyzers Have an App for DUI

Wednesday, January 22, 2014 5:04

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Need an on-the-go breathalyzer for DUIs? There’s an app for that.

This new class of pocket-sized Breathalyzers which connect with a smartphone which may help mobile users track their drinking. These Breathalyzer devices require connecting a smartphone via the headphone jack or through wireless Bluetooth connection and promise an accurate reading of your BAC on the go. While you should never drink and drive, these devices could help you avoid a DUI by monitoring your drinking throughout the evening.

With smartphone Breathalyzers growing in popularity in the smartphone market, here are three devices to consider:

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1. Alcohoot: Alcohoot is the godfather of smartphone Breathalyzers. It’s an external device that you plug into your headphone jack of either your smartphone or tablet. The user then blows into the attached mouthpiece and the device sends the user’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to the app. From there, the user can track the number of drinks he or she has had throughout the night. Although Alcohoot can give you a general idea of what your BAC is, you shouldn’t use it as a deciding factor of whether or not to get behind the wheel.

2. Breathometer: Besides having a nifty website that shows you how it works, Breathometer can track your BAC throughout the evening and give you an estimate of when you’ll sober up. Similar to Alcohoot, Breathometer is a portable Breathalyzer that plugs into your phone’s audio jack and the associated app can help you call a cab at the end of the night. Breathometer was also featured on the television show “Shark Tank.”

3. BACTrack: What sets BACTrack apart from other smartphone breathalyzers is that connects via Bluetooth. Unlike Alcohoot and Breathometer, BACTrack doesn’t physically plug into your phone. Instead it wirelessly records your BAC every time you blow into the device and links those results to the app via Bluetooth. BACTrack also allows you to take photos, add locations, drinks, and notes about your drinks. Just like Alcohoot and Breathometer, BACTrack is approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration.

Although smartphone Breathalyzers are helpful for monitoring your drinking levels, it won’t prevent you from getting a DUI if you drink and drive. In Pennsylvania, the ‘”per se” BAC limit is 0.08.

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