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Alcohol Level Gadgets Criticized

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By VALERIE KALFRIN

vkalfrin@tampatrib.com

Published: December 31, 2008

TAMPA - It's about 3 inches long, costs $14.99 and says it tests a person's alcohol level at the touch of a button.

The Alcohol Breath Tester key ring, found locally at retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond, is one of several gizmos promising partiers a safer night by helping them gauge whether a traffic stop would mean an arrest. The gadget has red and yellow lights to indicate blood-alcohol levels of 0.08 and 0.05, plus a digital timer to "keep track of how much time you've spent partying."

Whatever your plans for New Year's Eve, save your money, law enforcement officers and victim advocates say: These devices are not calibrated like the ones law enforcement uses, can give false readings and might endanger someone who takes them seriously.

"People react differently to alcohol," said Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Robert Rodriguez. Florida law presumes a person is intoxicated at a blood-alcohol level of 0.08, but a person can be impaired when the reading is much lower, he said.

"People get that 0.08 in their head," Rodriguez said. "I've had convictions with 0.03."

Attempts to reach the distributor, Excalibur Electronics of Miami, were unsuccessful. However, the packaging notes the device is "for entertainment purposes only," "does not give a definitive result" and should not be used as evidence or for medical purposes.

To a sensible person, the disclaimers speak for themselves, said Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Stephen Decatur, supervisor of the county's DUI squad. "The devices we use cost $300 to $400."

Trouble is, not every driver Decatur encounters acts sensibly. "If people blow into that thing and it gives them a green light — you know and I know people are gonna think it's OK to drive," he said.

Don Miller, the Florida executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said partiers can guarantee a safe night out by lining up a ride home with a friend or by calling a service such as the American Automobile Association's Tow to Go, which is free.

Tow to Go is offered through Jan. 4 and on holidays such as St. Patrick's Day. Call 1-800-222-4357 (1-800-AAA-HELP).

"There are many other ways to be safe on the road," Miller said. "Don't rely on a $14.99 keychain to keep you out of jail for 30 years if you kill somebody."

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