DON'T RELY ON THIS TEST TO DETERMINE IF YOU'RE UNDER THE LEGAL LIMIT

All the gizmos in the world can’t prevent someone whose drunk too much from driving, but that doesn’t stop inventors from thinking up new ways to prey on our fears about being stopped by the cops on our way home.

If you’ve been out drinking with friends at a restaurant or bar and are afraid of getting an Atlanta DUI you could use this new gizmo, that is, when it is available in Atlanta. It’s a free standing breathalyzer installed at your drinking hole that will tell you your BAC for $5. Sort of like the old weight-and-fortune- machines in the days of old, I suppose. It’s a clever idea and there is nothing really wrong with it, only it doesn’t really do anything. Why? Let me tell you:

1. When you breathe into a breathalyzer, it tells you your BAC for right then. What if you have another drink? What if you don’t drive for another half hour? Your BAC changes over time and it could very well go up as well as down.
2. Who is calibrating this machine? How can you be confident of its results?
3. Does the machine give you a false sense of security? If you’ve had a drink and are worried about being over the limit, just don’t drive. Machines can be wrong.
4. What is stopping a person from using the machine, seeing and understanding that he is over the limit, and then driving anyway?

These types of kiosks encourage "power drinking" in my opinion.  Instead of piquing curiosity, I’ve seen folks blow into one, then head back to the bar for more shots to see how high they can go. It’s a better practice is to think of this as a novelty, and let your designated driver take you home. That that goes for any gizmo that tells you your BAC—a pocket machine you bought at the drug store, a little chart or even an app.

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