The ability to detect alcohol on a person's breath actually dates back to the late 1800's but the first real breathalyzer came into use right around the 1940s - it was called (appropriately?) the drunkometer.
Most people don't realize that a breathalyzer doesn't actually measure the amount of alcohol in a person's bloodstream - to do that you need to take a sample of a person's blood - it estimates the blood alcohol content (BAC) instead.
There are a number of breathalyzer machines on the market today - and just like the brand ''Kleenex' has come to be used interchangeably with all tissue products - so too has the brand "Breathalyzer" come to represent the variety of machines that perform the same type of assessment.
Most states have legislated the exact machines that law enforcement is able to use. One could assume from this that somewhere along the line there has been a study or two that has confirmed the effectiveness of the chosen breathalyzers - but that is actually not always the case (in one case the breathalyzer brand a state opted for was sold by the spouse of the forensic lab's supervisor)
Today, there are personal breathalyzers available for purchase. They cost anywhere from ten dollars to several hundred - and although their results may not be as reliable as a professionally purchased machine - it's a good place to start.
In the end, the use of the results of a breathalyzer machine are still controversial and tend to be prone to being challanged in court.
This is due to the fact that they are sensitive to such things as atmospheric termperature.- which can impact the results causing a false reading. Newer generations of the machine are expected to provide more accurate information.
Greg Baumgartner is a Houston drunk driving accident lawyer and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping personal injury victims seek civil justice. If you would like to speak with a Texas personal injury lawyer call the Baumgartner firm.
