The latest electronic novelty popping up in local bars in Alabama might spare someone a night in jail or even save a life — or it might just become another drinking game.
Breathalyzer machines have been installed at several bars in Tuscaloosa so patrons can check their blood alcohol level before deciding whether to drive home or find a ride.
“It’s very accurate if it’s used properly,” said Shannon Wyatt, the Birmingham vendor who owns the machines.
Breathalyzers estimate a person’s blood alcohol content by measuring the amount of alcohol in a person’s breath. In Alabama and most states, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher.
“These are accurate to .01, plus or minus, which is as accurate as one at a police station would be,” Wyatt said.
To take the test, a person pays $1 and breathes through a straw. The machine displays the reading, but doesn’t save or print the results.
Brown’s Corner owner Heath Wyatt said he saw the machines used at bars in Birmingham and decided to install one at his business.
“Some people will do it for novelty and for fun, but we’re hoping that people take it seriously and if they see they are intoxicated, let us help them find transportation,” he said.
To get accurate results, a person should refrain from drinking at least 10 minutes before taking the test.
A machine is placed right by the door at The Filling Station in Temerson Square.
“I think it’s a good reminder for people walking out that if you’ve had too much to drink, you may be asked to blow into one of these by the authorities,” said co-owner Eric Blaylock.
“We’re bound by ABC laws not to serve anyone who is obviously impaired, but that’s not always an easy gauge with some people.”
The machines give people a chance to check their level of intoxication and use that information to make their next move.
“We got it to help deter drinking and driving,” said Johnny Hammock, owner of The Booth in downtown Tuscaloosa. “If they’ve had too much, they can ask us to call them a cab.”
Disclaimers above the machines indicate that they are for entertainment purposes only — meaning the results won’t provide a legal defense if someone is later stopped by police.
“We want people to have a good time, but to have a safe time. This can be a tool for people,” Heath Wyatt said.
Criminal defense attorney Jason Neff often represents clients charged with DUIs. “I doubt anyone takes the test and then says ‘Maybe I should take a cab.’ They go and get another drink,” he said.
He says that the machines might be more effective in curbing drunken driving if taken by friends who are out with a group. Someone may know that their friend’s level was too high and encourage them not to drive, or decide not to ride with a driver who tested over the limit.
Other bars in Tuscaloosa with the machines include Rounds and The Red Shed. Shannon Wyatt said he intends to install one at The Dixie on the Strip in a few weeks.
Demand has been high, said Wyatt, who owns and services the machines and gives a portion of his profits to the business owners.
“I’ve got more bars wanting them than I’ve got machines,” he said.
Topics Alabama
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