Several bars near the University of Illinois recently have purchased Breathalyzers for patrons to test their own Blood Alcohol Content, or BAC, according to a report by The Daily Illini. Two University of Wisconsin students also aim to have Breathalyzers installed in bars to help students avoid DUI and DWI charges, according to a report by WJBK Fox 2 Detroit. One East Lansing 7-Eleven, 311 Grove St., has had a Breathalyzer for “a couple years” but a manager would not comment further on the popularity of the machine.

Despite 7-Eleven’s example, managers at many bars are hesitant to install Breathalyzers.

Crunchy’s, 254 W. Grand River Ave., wouldn’t install any device allowing patrons to check their BAC because it could be used as a drinking game rather than a tool to avoid drunk driving, general manager Mike Krueger said.

“We try not to encourage binge drinking here and if we put something in, it would be a competition between people to see who could blow higher,” Krueger said. “I don’t think (people are) going to put a quarter in it and see they’re over the limit and decide not to drive. If they’re going to drive, they’re going to drive.”

In all reality, a Breathalyzer likely would not be used at all, either for a drinking game or to avoid drunk driving, said Joe Bell, owner of The Peanut Barrel, 521 E. Grand River Ave.

“I’ve seen Breathalyzers in other places and other states, and for the most part, they sit there and do nothing,” Bell said. “People walk by them.”

Breathalyzers could be a helpful tool in bars, but need to be used with care, East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said.

If users have alcohol residue in their mouth, or if they have drunk quickly and the alcohol still is in their stomach or not in the bloodstream, the Breathalyzer could give false readings, he said.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea, but the results should be taken with a grain of salt,” Wibert said. “(Most) students would use them responsibly and treat it as a tool to do the right thing.”

Even if students choose to use Breathalyzers as a game, it is valuable for them to see their BAC, said Charles Simon political theory and constitutional democracy and Russian senior.

“If (bars) want to put out the money for it, I think it would be a good thing,” Simon said. “I don’t see anything wrong, even if it is a joke, in seeing what your BAC is.”

However, since many MSU students do not drive to bars, the devices might not serve much purpose, Simon said.
“A lot of people commute to bars too, by walking, so I don’t know that it’d be extremely advantageous,” he said.