Frequently Asked Questions

General breathalyser Questions

General Ordering Questions

How does a breathalyser work?

When a person consumes alcohol, the body immediately absorbs the alcohol in the mouth, the stomach, and the intestines. This alcohol is rapidly distributed into one’s blood, which affects the central nervous system. The human liver acts as a filter for the bloodstream. Alcohol is removed from the body and passed through the alveoli in the lungs. With each breath, some alcohol is exhausted from the lungs and out of the body.

breathalysers are designed to test this exhausted alcohol for accurate results. By taking a “deep lung air” sample, a breathalyser is able to draw a very accurate reading of your BrAC or Breath Alcohol Concentration.

Using a breathalyser immediately after taking a drink can not only provide a high BrAC result, but also cause damage to the sensor. This residual alcohol in the mouth takes roughly 20-30 minutes to dissipate.

More information can be found in our article “How a breathalyser Works”.

How does an alcohol breathalyser differ from other testing methodologies?

There are generally three methods to test for one’s alcohol concentration.

Blood Alcohol Testing: The methodology used for blood alcohol testing is Gas Chromatography and is the most accurate forensic quality test in the industry today. However, drawing blood is an invasive and expensive procedure that most companies prefer to avoid.
Breath Alcohol Testing: Breath alcohol testers range from disposable screening testers to the equipment that provides legally admissible results, including very expensive digital read-out breath alcohol monitors.
Urine Alcohol Testing: Urine alcohol does not measure a true condition of the person. The results indicate the person's condition several hours before.
Saliva Alcohol Testing: A correlation between blood alcohol concentration and saliva alcohol concentration is believed to exist, the technology and chemical reaction employed has not been proven to be accurate or reliable.

More information can be found in our article "Alcohol Testing Methodologies".

Are breathalysers accurate?

Any handheld breathalyser sold in the market should have the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval. Essentially, that means the FDA tested it and it does what it says it does in the product literature. Other approvals that confirm that the accuracy levels reported by the breathalyser manufacturer are consistent with their findings include DOT (Department of Transportation), NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations) and U S Coast Guard.

Please be aware of imitation breathalysers that are sold online. Many of these breathalysers contain a cheap Chinese knock off sensor, that does little more than trigger an LED light to blink. It is our recommendation that you do not purchase a digital breathalyser that costs less than $50 (or seems too good to be true) as these models provide novelty results.

BreathKey
WINGMAN X Digital breathalyser
WINGMAN ZX Digital breathalyser
SafeMate
LED Keychain Alcohol Breath Tester with Timer (sold on ebay)
Digital Dual LCD Breath Alcohol Tester breathalyser T6T (sold on ebay)
AT566 Digital Alcohol Tester (sold on ebay)
...and many more.

Can my results be used in court?

Any result from a handheld unit is deemed as non-evidential. These devices are used as screening devices to determine if a more costly evidential test is required. Most devices used by law enforcement in the field are screening devices that provide the law enforcement officer enough reason to make an arrest under suspicion of a DUI/DWI. Results obtained by your personal breathalyser will not be held in court, and should be strictly used to increase the awareness of your blood alcohol concentration.

More information can be found in our article "Alcohol Testing Methodologies".

I don't feel fine, but my breathalyser says I'm under the legal limit for a DUI

Everyone reacts to alcohol differently. Even at low concentrations of alcohol, the affects of dizziness and diminished judgment can occur at .02% BAC. We recommend that you never get behind the wheel with any alcohol in your system, and to be tested by a friend who has not had any alcohol.

Is it safe to test other people with the same breathalyser?

It is completely safe to test others with the same breathalyser. To be sanitary it is recommended to use a new and unused mouthpiece when available. Also disposable breathalysers are a one time use device, and cannot be used multiple times. Most of our breathalysers are equipped with extra feature: fast mode / passive mode (results only show High or Low BAC and do not show the exact BAC mode) in which they do not require the user's lips to come into contact with the device while testing, making them ideal for testing multiple people.

Should I buy a used breathalyser?

The answer to this question is that you should never buy a used breathalyser either through ebay or any other auction sites. Always ask if the breathalyser you are buying is brand new and never used. The reason is that breathalyser sensors wear out from contamination or just over use. When buying a used breathalyser, you will never know for sure how many tests have been performed on the breathalyser. Even if it works when you get it, it may stop functioning after several tests.

What are the benefits of registration during the Checkout?

If you choose to register during cart checkout, you will automatically receive your own Visitor account. This is a completely free account allowing you to:

Save payment and address information to save time on future purchases
Track order status online and review order details including cropping
Keep a history of orders to reference at a later time
Place reorders without going through the steps again
Receive special promotions on future purchases
Access receipts from all previous transactions

Information you provide during registration will never be shared with anyone, and you can opt-out of receiving future e-mail correspondence in the Preferences of your account.

What methods of payment are accepted?

Major credit cards are accepted using eWay gateway including VISA, Master Card, American Express. Australia Bank Deposit and Paypal are also available.

How long does it take for an order to ship out?

Typically, orders are processed and shipped out in 24 - 48 hours. Most orders received before 11 A.M AEST will be shipped out same day. Order are not shipped on Saturday or Sunday and any major national holiday. Additional options such as imprinting take additional time to complete.

My web browser does not load the checkout screen correctly. Can I order a different way?

Absolutely, while we make every attempt to make our online shopping experience as pleasant as possible, we understand that a feature may be experiencing technical difficulties. Breathalysers.net.au representatives are standing by to assist you in completing your order over the phone or via fax. Give us a call at (03)9890 1088or visit our online contact page.

I want to ship outside the Australia. Can I order from Breathalysers.net.au ?

Yes, we currently ship to nearly all international destinations. Simply add to cart and proceed to checkout to order online with a credit card. We request that the credit card billing address match the ship to shipping adress.For large international orders, please call (03)9890 1088 or contact us to get a price quote or for specific shipping information. International orders can take up to 14 business days for delivery.

How much is Shipping?

Shipping charges are dynamically calculated at the time of ordering. You will most likely have a choice between several shipping methods depending on the destination and how quickly you want to receive the order. If you have any special needs feel free to call us so we can accommodate you.

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