AlcoHAWK Slim Breath Alcohol Tester
By: Q3 Innovations
With the Holidays and the New Year quickly approaching, so is something else; Holiday Parties. Too frequently, partygoers who are busy socializing often don’t realize how much alcohol they are consuming and when it comes time to drive home make the poor decision of thinking they aren’t drunk. Often these people run into a DWI checkpoint and get a rude awakening when the blow above the legal limit or even worse, get into a deadly accident. With the help of personal breathalyzers like the AlcoHAWK Slim, this problem can be avoided.
The AlcoHAWK Slim is quite small and fits easily in your pocket. It comes with easy directions for use. You need to wait 20 minutes after smoking, eating, or drinking before testing. The device has only one button to perform all functions. One push turns on the breathalyzer and starts a countdown. After that all you have to do is wait until the unit says BL, start blowing, and once the unit “beeps” your BAC is displayed on the screen in easy to read numbers. It also comes with three disposable mouthpieces and you can purchase more from their website so you won’t have to worry about spreading germs.
While testing the breathalyzer (with the help of some friends over 21) I found it to be relatively accurate based on comparing what numbers they blew to the results of a BAC calculator that took into account weight, time, and the type of drink that was being consumed. As long as the guidelines set forth in the directions were followed, the numbers remained accurate to within .02 of the numbers the calculator gave us and while that seems like a small number, you must remember that could be the difference between getting a DWI and getting off.
When using the breathalyzer, it was tedious to have to wait 20 minutes before testing your BAC. The task of constantly checking the time before you used it can pose problems if you’re all ready to go, but you have just finished your drink or eaten some food. I also wish there was a place on the breathalyzer to store the protective tips so you don’t have to worry about losing them in your pocket when you’re out.
The AlcoHAWK Slim despite its qualms was fun to use. It was interesting to see the effect of a few drinks on your BAC and how quickly it can creep up on you and it is always a nice conversation piece. You would be surprised how many people will be asking you to use it if you pull it out at a Holiday party this year. I would recommend it as an added safety measure to prevent you or your friends from driving while intoxicated. If you do decide to buy this product, it is important to realize that this is not a fool proof system and readings should be taken with a grain of salt and not used as the only deciding factor before you make the decision to drive or take a cab. You should always plan to have a DD and if you feel like you may be intoxicated, do not drive- no matter what a breathalyzer might say.