How To Find Out If A Drink Is Spiked

May 5th, 2010   Add Comment

Say you’re a school administrator, watching kids file into the high school for a late night graduation party.  It should be a fun time for all, but usually there’s someone who thinks they can break the rules.  It wasn’t too, too long ago that I graduated high school, and I well remember – people bring alcohol to campus.

So what are you going to do as a school administrator to find out if what you suspect to be alcohol in a student’s water bottle is, in fact, alcohol?  Unless you are planning to consume the beverage yourself there is no cheaper or easier way to find out if a drink contains alcohol than using an AlcoScreen.  On top of that, you can find out if a student has been drinking as well.

Inside this package is the test you need to find out if a drink is spiked!

This is the AlcoScreen, the test you need to find out if a drink is spiked!

When testing individuals, the AlcoScreen will give you a reading of various shades of green/blue to indicate blood alcohol content (BAC).  After 2 minutes you can determine whether BAC is at 0.02%, 0.04%, 0.08%, or 0.30% by the color of the AlcoScreen stick.

When testing drinks, AlcoScreen works differently, but no less accurately.  It gives you a “yes or no” answer as to whether alcohol is in a beverage.  Alcohol in beverages is so concentrated that the AlcoScreen will pick up even the smallest amount of alcohol, every time.  The test strip will turn very, very dark brown or black when indicating that alcohol is in a drink.  If it turns green, the drink may not contain alcohol – Mountain Dew, for example, will turn the strip the color of a 0.08% human reading.  But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean the drink is spiked – it’s the very dark brown/black color you are looking for when testing a drink.

The AlcoScreen is a wonderful tool for school administrators and parents alike.  Depending on your need at the time, it can be turned into a saliva alcohol test equivalent to a breathalyzer, or a neat and effective beverage tester.  For information on bulk discounts, please call Home Health Testing at 910-815-0209.

Click the link to check out our full alcohol test line.

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Alcohol Tests and Schools – How Alcohol Testing Can Help Your High School

April 26th, 2010   Add Comment

The prevalence of underage drinking in high school will come as no surprise to an experienced school administrator.  Spring in particular is a time to be vigilant for underage drinking in high schools, as it is a very exciting time for many students.  School dances, prom, and graduation parties all mean celebration and for some students that means maybe it’s okay to sneak alcohol into the gym.

Want to know what's in the glass? Find out with an AlcoScreen Alcohol Test

Want to know what's in the glass? Find out with an AlcoScreen Alcohol Test

Well, regardless of the event, it’s still not – and underage drinking is a crime.  Kids have begun to drink at an earlier age too.  According to a US Department of Health and Human Services Alcohol Alert, “In 2003, the average age of first use of alcohol was about 14, compared to about 17 1/2 in 1965.”  This means that underage drinking is not just the realm of high school seniors anymore, but also freshmen and middle school students.

The AlcoScreen saliva alcohol test can help you defend against alcohol abuse in your school.  It is a dual purpose alcohol test that can identify someone’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at ranges from 0.02%, 0.04%, 0.08% or 0.30%.  It can also be dipped into an alcoholic beverage to qualitatively determine if it has alcohol in it.

When testing saliva, the color of the test strip will determine your results.  You can conveniently compare the shade of green of the test strip against the packaging.  When you are testing possibly alcoholic beverages, results do not follow the same color patterns – an alcohol-positive result is found when the test strip turns dark brown or black.

For teachers, parents, and school administrators, the AlcoScreen is a great tool for deterring underage alcohol abuse.  Call Home Health Testing today at 910-815-0209 to learn more about the test and our bulk pricing options.

["Silent Water Drops" photo by Nico van der Merwe]

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Talk To A DUI Lawyer Before Talking With The Police

March 24th, 2010   1 Comment

(This is the first in a continuing series of guest editorials on the Home Health Testing blog).

A DUI arrest is a serious matter and can have life long consequences for the charged. This is why it is important that you talk with a DUI lawyer and let him/her handle your case before you say anything to the police. When a driver is stopped by the police as a suspect for drunk driving, the best thing to do is not to speak at all. If you start a conversation with the police officer, that can be used against you in court. Similarly, many people believe, that they should do all what the police officer asks them to do. However, this is not the correct approach. You can also refuse to take a breath test or refuse to give the field sobriety tests, which will lead to your driver’s license suspension, which can be fought in court.

Speak to a DUI attorney
As soon as you are stopped as a suspect for drunk driving, you should immediately ask for a lawyer to talk on your behalf. You should not feel awkward about asking for a lawyer as it is your right. However, you must provide your identification as well as insurance proof when you are pulled over. Even if the police arrest you for not taking the test, or not answering their questions, you should still not say anything. Instead, ask for your lawyer to talk on your behalf. You must stay quiet till your lawyer turns up.

How to talk with the police officer
On the other hand, if you talk with the officer, make sure you talk in a calm manner and not in an angry or irritated tone. It is also not advised to start an argument with the police officer, as that can have further consequences and penalties. Similarly, if you try to evade the officer, it can also get you in trouble. Police officers are trained to study a persons behaviour through their speech and also through their body language, so if you try and act smart, you are only asking for trouble. Also, if you start answering questions asked by the officer, make sure you answer them honestly and truthfully. However, make sure you do not mention any of your recent drinking activities, as they can act against you directly.

The police will make an effort to start small talk, and to confuse you or to engage you in a conversation if you try and avoid one. Even answering innocent questions can damage your case by working against you, as the police officers not only take note of what you answer, but also how you answer them. They specifically look for slurred speech to use it to prove in court that you were drunk at the time of arrest.

Therefore, you should make sure that you do not talk with the officer at all. Even if you think you are providing information which will not work against you in court, you are wrong. By staying quiet and exercising your right to remain silent, you make things easier for your DUI lawyer to defend you. The more you talk at the time of arrest, the complicated your case will become, as everything you say will be “on record” and will come back to haunt you in court.

By asking for a DUI lawyer to represent you in court, you will make sure you have someone at your side who understands the ins and outs of the DUI laws of the area, and knows how to deal in court. Your lawyer will also attend court sessions for you and will work to reduce your penalties or have them removed completely. Do not try to take matters in your own hand as it will most likely lead to a DUI conviction. An experienced lawyer will discuss your case in detail with you and explain the whole process to you and will also guide you on how to deal in the court and face the prosecutor and judge. So if you have been charged and arrested for drunk driving, you should immediately ask for a DUI lawyer who is trusted and has successfully fought and won DUI cases. If you are having difficulties finding one, you can visit http://www.MyDUIAttorney.org and find one in the state where you have been charged in.

This editorial was written by Richard Jacobs of DUI lawyer directory website http://www.myduitattorney.org.

The Risk Alcohol Abuse Presents to Women

March 18th, 2010   Add Comment

It is a known fact that the male and female body in humans is different in many respects and it reacts to various substances in different ways. Alcohol is no different! Women are affected differently by alcohol as compared to men and therefore the acceptable level of drinking and intake are also different.

The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol Related Disorders conducted a study in conjunction with the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in 2001-02 and found that 5.42 percent of males and 2.32 percent females in the US suffered from alcohol dependence. About 5 percent to 10 percent women suffer from alcoholism at some point in their lives in the US too.

It was also stated that the average age when women start to consume alcohol is older than men. However, the speed at which women progress from the first drink to dependency is far higher.

How are women affected by alcohol?

Alcohol affects various parts of the body. It is known to have an adverse effect on the brain, the heart, the liver, the stomach, the skin, the reproductive organs and the overall weight profile. Excessive drinking is known to reduce the amount of brain tissue while increasing the size of the ventricles. Those dependent tend to neglect their diet leading to heart related issues due to vitamin deficiencies. Heavy drinking can irritate the stomach and as the alcohol depresses nerve reactions, it can also disrupt your sex life.

However the most significant effects of alcohol are felt in the liver. Frequent intake and large quantities do not allow the liver cells to function properly. As Cirrhosis develops the liver tissue is unable to heal itself due to the constant consumption.

Depending on the amount of alcohol that is consumed, it is said that the individual moves from a state of euphoria to excitement to confusion to stupor and lastly to coma and death.

The effect of alcohol in women is different in women due to the lower levels water in their bodies as compared to men (compared for the same level of weight). This means that there is less availability of water for dilution in the body in the case of women. Therefore, the brain, liver and other parts of the body are exposed to a higher concentration of alcohol and toxicity.

How much is too much for a woman?

Alcohol abuse in women is defined differently than that for men. The dietary guidelines laid for women in the United States for moderate drinking are no more than one drink a day (a standard drink is defined as a 12 ounce bottle of beer, a 5 ounce glass of wine or a 1.5 ounce distilled alcohol) for women. A higher consumption is known to increase risk of accidents, injuries, high blood pressure, stroke, suicide and some types of cancer.

Symptoms of alcohol abuse in women

Alcohol abuse is a situation in which a woman starts to depend on alcohol to such an extent that she starts to harm herself and others. Missing work or failing to fulfill childcare responsibilities, drinking while driving, getting arrested for excessive drinking and aggressive behavior or continuing to drink despite family issues and tensions due to alcohol consumption are some of the symptoms of alcohol abuse in women.

Social pressures increase alcohol abuse in women

While men have been at the receiving end with regards to alcohol abuse and drinking and driving, a study conducted by U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the proportion of women involved in a drinking and driving accident increased among those in the 19+ age group. It is hypothesized that the high levels of demands from women in the modern world have increased and women are taking to alcohol for respite. Some women are known to drink excessively just to fit in!

Make sure that you are moderating your alcohol use and not making any risky decisions by carrying an alcohol test with you when you decide to drink. It is the safest way to be sure you are sober and ready to go behind the wheel.

- Anne Hamilton

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The Social Problems That Make Alcohol Testing Necessary

March 4th, 2010   1 Comment
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 percent of adults in the United States are regular drinkers (defined as at least 12 drinks in the last year). It is also estimated that among the 15.1 million alcohol dependent individuals in America, a third are women.
While limited amounts of alcohol consumption does not harm anyone, one needs to be wise enough to know how much is enough. There is also a difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. While the former refers to drinking alcohol and then indulging in socially unacceptable behavior, something that can cause physical harm to others, the latter involves a physical dependence and craving for alcohol.
Uncontrolled alcohol consumption can affect the individual as well as the society that he or she lives in. There are also certain larger societal issues that drinking causes.
Individual negative effects of alcohol abuse
In the short term alcohol consumption makes a person cheerful. Over time it can cause dehydration, lack of motor coordination, blurred vision and a lowering of inhibitions. Long term health concerns include liver health.
An initial sign that someone is beginning to develop an alcohol dependency is that they seek out alcohol drinking occasions. They look at drinking as an escape from problems. Loss of will power and inadequate attempts to seek help are common.
Loss of self control becomes a pattern among those who abuse alcohol. Friendships start to last only if the companion is an alcohol partner.
Societal concerns of excessive alcohol consumption
The social effects of alcohol are far reaching. Some of these are:
- It is estimated that more than a hundred thousand people face death due to alcohol.
- There is a considerable loss in productivity that the workforce faces at large. Estimates go up to $100 billion per year. Work accidents, absenteeism, low performance while on the job are specific ways in which the overall productivity is reduced.
- About 40 percent of industrial fatalities and 47 percent of injuries at the workplace are caused due to drinking in some way or another.
- Alcohol abuse is involved in 50 percent of driving fatalities and someone is killed in an alcohol related accident every 30 minutes in the United States.
- Lactating, breast feeding or pregnant women who drink actually feed alcohol to their babies who are unable to burn the alcohol in the way an adult liver can. Genetic disorders and other defects are more probable among babies born of drinking mothers. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are common due to alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
- 3/4ths of all domestic abuse incidents involve the consumption of alcohol by the abuser.
Knowing when you are moving from a casual drinker to one that is actively looking for alcohol almost all the time is essential. If you feel that you child or spouse is drinking more than what is considered okay, use the alcohol test to check out the number of times he or she is drinking. In the long run it may be one of the best things you can do for a person.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 percent of adults in the United States are regular drinkers (defined as at least 12 drinks in the last year). It is also estimated that among the 15.1 million alcohol dependent individuals in America, a third are women.

While limited amounts of alcohol consumption does not harm anyone, one needs to be wise enough to know how much is enough. There is also a difference between alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. While the former refers to drinking alcohol and then indulging in socially unacceptable behavior, something that can cause physical harm to others, the latter involves a physical dependence and craving for alcohol.

Uncontrolled alcohol consumption can affect the individual as well as the society that he or she lives in. There are also certain larger societal issues that drinking causes.

Individual Negative Effects of Alcohol Abuse

In the short term alcohol consumption makes a person cheerful. Over time it can cause dehydration, lack of motor coordination, blurred vision and a lowering of inhibitions. Long term health concerns include liver health.

An initial sign that someone is beginning to develop an alcohol dependency is that they seek out alcohol drinking occasions. They look at drinking as an escape from problems. Loss of will power and inadequate attempts to seek help are common.

Loss of self control becomes a pattern among those who abuse alcohol. Friendships start to last only if the companion is an alcohol partner.

Societal Concerns of Excessive Alcohol Consumption

The social effects of alcohol are far reaching. Some of these are:

- It is estimated that more than a hundred thousand people face death due to alcohol.

- There is a considerable loss in productivity that the workforce faces at large. Estimates go up to $100 billion per year. Work accidents, absenteeism, low performance while on the job are specific ways in which the overall productivity is reduced.

- About 40 percent of industrial fatalities and 47 percent of injuries at the workplace are caused due to drinking in some way or another.

- Alcohol abuse is involved in 50 percent of driving fatalities and someone is killed in an alcohol related accident every 30 minutes in the United States.

- Lactating, breast feeding or pregnant women who drink actually feed alcohol to their babies who are unable to burn the alcohol in the way an adult liver can. Genetic disorders and other defects are more probable among babies born of drinking mothers. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are common due to alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

- 3/4ths of all domestic abuse incidents involve the consumption of alcohol by the abuser.

Knowing when you are moving from a casual drinker to one that is actively looking for alcohol almost all the time is essential. If you feel that you child or spouse is drinking more than what is considered okay, use the alcohol test to check out the number of times he or she is drinking. In the long run it may be one of the best things you can do for a person.

- Anne Hamilton

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Why You Should Alcohol Test Your Employees

January 20th, 2010   Add Comment

It has been estimated that about 70 percent of substance abusers hold jobs. This includes the 18 million alcohol abusers that have been estimated in the United States. Coming to work under the influence of alcohol can cause various concerns and issues. Among them are risks of an accident, reduced productivity, higher levels of health insurance costs and therefore lesser profits and unsafe conditions for everyone.

An alcohol test can help in finding out those who have been abusing alcohol or have come to work under the influence. It has been seen that alcohol abusers like other substance users are more prone to miss work and are also at a much higher risk of being involved in a job accident. This risk obviously is far greater in jobs that require extremely high levels of concentration.

Workplaces that require physical work like driving or managing large equipment, in other words any work that requires the reflexes to be at their best, can benefit from on-site alcohol testing. Since alcohol consumption causes blurred vision and coordination issues, these tasks become difficult for those under the influence. Transportation companies, construction companies, factories, heavy equipment handling companies and others should definitely include alcohol testing as a regular practice to ensure job safety.

Not only are alcohol tests necessary for the job safety of the employees, they also keep the employers away from complicated law suits that tend to follow incidents. It may not be practical to have a laboratory come in and conduct testing every now and then, but the breath analyzer alcohol test is an extremely convenient and accurate one that can get around this problem and literally be used every day.

Educational institutions are also using the alcohol test to ensure that there are no students that come to the campus under the influence of alcohol. This is a necessary measure that is being taken to ensure that proper discipline is maintained in the premises of the school. Hooliganism and unacceptable behavior can be avoided by using the 0.02 percent breath alcohol test.  As a matter of fact, the University of Minnesota, for example, requires season-ticket holding students guilty of previous alcohol offenses to take an alcohol test before they enter the stadium (see the full article at the blog Alcohol Testing).

Small businesses that cannot afford to hire a laboratory for these alcohol tests on a regular basis can ensure that their workplace is devoid of alcoholics. While those with desk jobs may not be at such a high risk of accidents on the job, the short term effects of alcohol can lead to low productivity and bad judgment. Alcohol induced fatigue, insomnia and lack of judgment and false confidence can cause some really wrong decisions to be made.

The home alcohol test is also something that educational institutions and corporate offices can use to ensure that the employees are clean and not under the influence of alcohol when they report. These alcohol tests are simple and can give results in a matter of seconds.

The 0.02 percent breath analyzer is a great piece of zero-tolerance equipment that can detect alcohol that has been consumed in the past hours. It is also a convenient thing to use to decide whether it is safe to drive or not rather than calculating the number and type of drinks consumed before getting behind the wheel.

Such alcohol tests not only provide a great way to pick out alcohol abuse at the workplace, they are a significant help in deterring teenagers from indulging in alcohol too.

- Anne Hamilton

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