In the United States the minimum legal drinking age is 21, in Japan and Iceland it is 20, in South Korea it is 29. Several countries have no minimum legal drinking age including Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Fiji, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Soviet Georgia, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The minimum legal age to drink in Antigua, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey and Switzerland is 16 with the rest of the countries chiming in at age 18.

There are other dangers for teen drinkers besides the higher risk for developing alcoholism. The other dangers include the perils of drinking and driving and being involved in a fatal crash. Teens that drink are very likely to make the decision to drink and drive in part because of the fear of being caught if they call home for a ride, and partly because poor judgment is a symptoms of alcohol abuse. Teens who are intoxicated typically engage in many dangerous behaviors including behaving in a way that they might not otherwise behave such as having decreased inhibitions to act in a sexual manner that they would otherwise not participate in which carries the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Alcohol is a drug and as a drug it is addictive. Alcohol usage often leads to the use of other drugs that carry many other dangers for teens.

Teens who drink are also in danger of performing poorly in school, which can impact future possibilities for career and higher educational choices resulting from the drop in grades that typically follow alcohol dependency.

Teen alcohol usage can also damage relationships between the teen and his/her family creating rifts that can last a long time. Teens that drink often exhibits behavioral problems, which can further complicate family relations.

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to numerous health risks later in life including the increased risk for liver issues, heart problems, stomach ulcers, and malnutrition at a time when physical growth is still occurring.

The obvious danger is that underage drinking is illegal, and those who engage in illegal activities as youth may continue to break the law as adults, which can lead to dangerous situations. They may also engage in other illegal activities as teens, which carry other dangers.

The backlit LCD is large and easy to read (no matter what state you are in), and is the ideal unit for professional testing situations.

The Alcohawk PT500 has obtained FDA 510k premarket clearance for consumer use.

Using the PT500 is easy.  Turn the machine on using the On/Off button, and press enter.  The unit will calibrate, and then display a blow now signal.  The person then takes a deep breath and blows into the mouthpiece for around 5 seconds.   The unit will then show you the test result on the large LCD screen.

The majority of people who reviewed this item on Amazon gave it a full 5 out of 5 score.  The only negative review was from someone who said the unit never worked – maybe a defective unit?

The machine is sensitive in the the range of 0 – 0.400% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) with a quoted accuracy of +/- 0.01% at 0.02% BAC.  The Alchoawk ABI uses semi-conductor oxide technology.

The Alcohawk range of breathalyzers have a technology built in (called sensor recognition) to look for various abnormalities in the sensors.  This all adds to the accuracy of this range of tester.

The Alcohawk ABI is cleared for consumer use by the FDA, DOT and NHTSA.

The majority of people who left reviews on Amazon about this unit were satisfied with its performance, though on or two were less happy, with a couple of people complaining that it needed recalibration quite quickly and there is no way to do that yourself – you need to take it in for a service and that costs money.

The machine makes sure that the air breathed into it is deep lung air, which is essential to accuarate measurements as this is where the alcohol in the breath is mainly found.

The Alcohawk Elite was developed for personal use as well as professional use, though perhaps the fuel-cell technology breathalyzers would be a better option for professionals.  The Elite model has a temperature display to make sure that the test is performed under optimal conditions.

The Alcohawk Elite works with a simple one button press. The blue lit LCD display will then show the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).

I would strongly urge you to read customer reviews of the Alcohawk Elite breathalyzer on Amazon because the majority of people who purchased this unit at the US site were not happy with it.  Comments like the unit not even registering any alcohol after a drink, and don’t waste your money, must give you cause for concern.

The machine is well built and robust because of the impact resistant material used to build it – are thinking that drunk people will drop it a lot   At least one review on Amazon did question the build quality though.

The Alcohawk Precision is a fine instrument to carry in your car, in case you go to a party and need to make sure you are under the legal limits for driving.

The machine comes with 5 mouthpieces which can be disposed of if required, though washing them is more economical.  You’ll also get a carry case.

This model meets the DOT / NHTSA specifications and has FDA 510K clearance.

I highly recommend that you read the reviews on Amazon before purchasing.  The majority of people are very happy with the Alcohawk Precision, but a few are not so pleased with their purchase.

This model is simple to use with a single push button.  The Alcohawk Pro has an innovative Flow Check breath monitoring technology to make sure the breath is sufficient for an accurate measurement (from the deep lungs required for accurate testing).  If the machine detects that the breath was not sufficient for an accurate reading, an error message is displayed and the test needs to be re-administered.

The Alcohawk Pro is used by a range of professionals including the police, hospitals, schools and personal use. because it is one of the most accurate semi-conductor based breathalyzers available.  Accuracy levels of +/- 0.01% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at 0.1% BAC are quoted.

This model is DOT / NHTSA approved & 510k certified by FDA.

Before buying an Alcohawk Pro, I would read some of the reviews at Amazon, as some people are not convinced of its accuracy, while others seem very happy with the product.

A breathalyzer is a machine that can estimate blood alcohol concentration (BAC) based on the concentrations of alcohol in a sample of deep lung air.   The word breathalyzer is actually a brand name, but has become a word in common usage to describe any machine that can measure BAC.

The police have been using breathalyzers for some time to detect alcohol in drivers bloodstream.  It is vital that the machine are accurate, since high levels of alcohol in the blood can make the driver very dangerous on the roads.  It is undoubtedly more accurate to take a blood sample and analyze that, but this really isn’t practical in the field.  The same applies to urine samples which can be used to find the concentration of alcohol in the blood.  They are also not very practical.  Therefore breathalyzers offer the best compromise, giving accurate estimates of blood alcohol concentration without invading a person’s body.

How do breathalyzers work?

When a person drinks alcohol, the alcohol is absorbed into the blood.  As the blood passes through the lungs, some of the alcohol will pass through the capillary network of the lungs into the alveoli (alveoli are small spaces in the lungs which give the lungs its large surface area.  They are responsible for gaseous exchange).  The concentration of alcohol that passes into the lungs is obviously related to the concentration of alcohol in the blood.  The higher the blood alcohol concentration, the higher the concentration of alcohol found in the lungs.  The ratio of breath alcohol to blood alcohol is something like 2000 : 1.

When a person breaths into a breathalyzer, the air from deep in the lungs passes over sensors in the breathalyzer.  These sensors measure the concentration of alcohol in the breath, and then using a calculation, can estimate how much alcohol there is in the blood.

How accurate are breathalyzers?

The accuracy of the breathalyzer depends upon the machine itself, but generally the more expensive the breathalyzer, the more accurate it will be.  Some figures quoted for the Alcohawk range of machines suggest these machines are accurate to +/- 0.01%.  However, you should read the specifications from the manufacturer of  of your particular machine.

The Alcohawk Slim is operated with a single push button, and provides fast and accurate readings.  It has an electronic airflow sensor built into it to ensure that the sample that is breathed in is a deep lung sample (required for accurate calculation of blood alcohol concetration – BAC).

The Alchohawk Slim can detect blood alcohol between 0.000 – 0.400% BAC with a B.A.C. sensor accuracy of +/- 0.02% and displays the results with a 2-digit display.

The folding mouthpiece on the Alcohawk Slim is replaceable, and packs of 50 can be bought separately.  However, if you are using the tester for your own personal use only, there may be no need to buy extra mouthpieces, as the ones that come with the machine can be washed and re-used.

This model is perfect for anyone wanting to personal alcohol breath tester with professional accuracy.  The Alcohawk Slim meets DOT/NHTSA model specs for breath alcohol screeners and has FDA 510k pre-marketing clearance.

Customer reviews of the Alcohawk Slim Digital breathalyzer have been very favorable over at Amazon.  With its automatic calibration when its turned on (taking around 60 seconds, though sometimes a little longer), quick accurate readings and low cost, people are loving this breath alcohol tester.

A lot of people who bought the Alcohawk Slim, did so for peace of mind.

Breathalyzers are digital alcohol breath testers that can accurately measure the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from a breath sample.  They work by measuring the breath alcohol content (BrAc) when the user blows into the mouthpiece.  Breath passes over sensors which measures BrAc, and the breathalyzer converts this data into BAC using a simple equation which relies the fact that the alcohol level in the breath of the lungs is a known proportion of the alcohol level in the blood.

Most breath-testers come with replaceable mouthpieces, so they can hygienically be used by several people.  Of course the law enforcement people rely on this.

Choosing a breathalyzer is not as straight forward as you would imagine as there are many different makes and models, each designed with slightly different applications in mind, but most can provide quite accurate measurement of blood alcohol levels.

These machines range from heavy duty professional units, to home units and even keychain breathalyzers.

Here we are just concerned with the Alcohawk models, and there are two series of Alcohawk breathalyzer:

Alcohawk SC Series alcohol detectors, which use semi-conductors for a lower cost personal and home unit.  These come in a range of models called:

• Alcohawk Slim – sleek & compact breath alcohol tester.  One button operation and folding mouthpiece make it an good one to carry around with you.
• Alcohawk Slim 2 – Another compact digital alcohol tester with folding mouthpiece.  This model has increased accuracy over the Slim Alcohawk.
• Alcohawk Precision – This model meets DOT standards with 4 digit LED display.
• Alcohawk ABI – This model meets DOT standards with 3 digit LED display.
• Alcohawk PRO – Dot standard breathalyzer with state of the art semiconductor oxide sensor.  The PRO has a sensor to check that the breath ws sufficient for accurate measurement of alcohol.
• Alcohawk Elite – Similar to the PRO but with a temperature sensor and blue-lit LCD screen.

Alcohawk PT Series alcohol detectors, which utilize fuel-cell technology for increased accuracy.  These units are recommended for professional use to test for the presence of alcohol at threshold blood alcohol levels like 0.02% or 0.08%.  These units come in a variety of models called:

• Alcohawk PT400 – the basic fuel-cell sensor breathalyzer model.
• Alcohawk PT500 – All the features of the Alcohawk PT400, but with pressure sensor to test for adequate pressure during the test.  This meets DOT standards.
• Alcohawk PT500P – Similar to the Alcohawk PT500 but with wireless printing.
• Alcohawk PT750 – Similar features to the others in the Alcohawk PT series, but with 1000 test memory, password protection, air blank tests, USB port, etc.

Things to look for when choosing a breath alcohol detector:

1. DOT (Department of Transport) approval.
2. FDA 510k clearnace for personal testing.

You can find some reviews of these breathalyzers by clicking the links to the individual models listed above.  We’ll try to provide more information on each unit as well as an indication of price and shipping.

There are many health and other dangers that can occur when an individual participates in binge drinking.

Health problems that can occur as a result of binge drinking include:

• Alcohol poisoning
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome for those women who binge drink while pregnant
• High blood pressure, which may result in cardiovascular disease or stroke
• Injuries from falls, domestic abuse, intentional injuries and injuries sustained from use of firearms while drunk
• Liver disease
• Neurological damage caused by excessive alcohol consumption
• Sexually transmitted diseases as a result of risky behavior while intoxicated
• Unplanned pregnancies as a result of risky sexual behavior while drunk
• Perhaps the biggest danger individuals face when participating in binge drinking is that of alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning is a serious health condition in which the blood alcohol concentration risks too high. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning include severe vomiting, depressed respirations, and seizures. Alcohol poisoning can rapidly lead to coma and death and anyone suffering from alcohol poisoning must be taken to an emergency room immediately or call 911 for quick medical assistance. Binge drinking is the most common cause of alcohol poisoning.

Scary statistics about binge drinking:

When young people become involved in binge drinking they have a higher risk of alcohol dependency (alcoholism). Statistics show that 25% of young people who begin drinking before age 17 succumb to the disease alcoholism.

42% of all college students report some frequency of binge drinking

Two-thirds of all alcohol consumed on college campuses are consumed by those participating in binge drinking

Most of the problems that college police deal with such as injuries, and vandalism involve binge drinking, up to 60% of all problems involving security or police on college campuses are involving those who have been binge drinking.

Reality:

There is a lot of pressure to drink on college campuses as a way of dealing with the pressures of college and because for some this is a first taste of freedom away from parental control.

Preventing those you care about from participating in binge drinking:

1. Reduce the access to alcohol to high school and college students and those aged 13 – 20.
2. Educate youth while in Jr. High (Middle school), High school and college about the dangers of binge drinking.
3. Educate parents about the dangers of binge drinking
4. Make available physician screening and counseling for alcohol related problems including binge drinking.