The term breathalyzer comes from combining the words ‘breath’ and ‘analyzer’. It is a device used for estimating what the exact blood alchohol content by using a breath sample. Blood alchohol content, otherwise known as BAC is the concentration of alcohol in a person’s blood. BAC is usually used as a metric of intoxication for legal or medical purposes. It is measured in terms of mass per volume, but also in terms of mass per mass.
The actual term “Breathalyzer” is a name of series made by one specific company of the “breath testers”. The company Smith and Wesson was the first to coin the phrase. Since then, it has become a generalized term for any breath/alcohol measuring tool.
The method of using one is simple. You take a deep breath, then you exhale into the breathalyzer and it will automatically judge your BAC. It is primarily used by Police Officers to determine if someone is over the legal limit and is to be considered intoxicated.
There have been many controversies over breathalyzers and is one of the topics this website will be discussing.
One way to make sure you know what these readings will be before you venture out is simply to own your own keychain breathalyzer and see what it would read on other machines as well.