Law enforcement officers will soon be able to screen for more than just alcohol on their breath testing devices. A new breathalyzer drug test device can detect various substances, including:

• Meth
• Cocaine
• heroin
• morphine
• Cannabis

Different states and territories have varying laws against driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. However, law enforcement officers still do not have a breathalyzer drug test available for road side screenings. Furthermore, it is important to note that breathalysers, for now, can only test for alcohol. The Australian standard for alcohol breathalyzers is the AS3547. Any unit used in a workplace or roadside screening must comply with this standard. Additionally, it is worth noting that the AS3547 standard, for now, only covers for alcohol breath testing and not drug breath testing.

There is a high chance and an excellent opportunity for the breathalyzer drug test to advance into a new alcohol and drug testing technique. Furthermore, this method can an alternative to already used testing methods like urine, blood, and saliva samples. Breath alcohol tests are common because they are quick and easy to perform with personal and professional breathalyzers, like the ones seen on Breathalysers Australia. Without a doubt, a breathalyser drug test can help provide an easier and less invasive testing method for drug use. 

What is the BAC Limit?

Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is the level of alcohol in grams per 100ml of blood. The legal BAC limit for driving is 0.05%. The general rule to stay under the BAC limit is one standard drink per hour. Some industries have zero alcohol tolerance, like aviation, transportation, mining, construction. Jobs that involve operating heavy machinery and potentially dangerous equipment also require zero-alcohol tolerance. Moreover, these industries can also benefit from having a mandatory breathalyzer drug test in their workplace alcohol and drug policies.

Breathalysers Australia provides highly accurate breathalyzers perfect for personal and workplace alcohol testing. Although a BACtrack breathalyzer cannot perform a breathalyzer drug test, it can still provide precise BAC readings essential to workplaces and roads. Breathalysers Australia has various breathalyzers for personal use, like the Go Keychain, C6 and C8 units. Additionally, the BACtrack Mobile Pro Gen2 and the S80 Pro Gen2 are also excellent choices for workplace testing. The BACtrack Mobile Pro Gen2 offers employers the ability to track results via an app. Moreover, most these Pro-series breathalyzers from Breathalysers Australia use fuel cell sensors that offer police-grade accuracy—giving users highly accurate BAC results and consistent readings for multiple tests. Without a doubt, any employer from any industry can drastically benefit from constant alcohol workplace screenings.

Breathalyzer Drug Test for Employment

An alcohol breath test is a process of identifying if an individual is consuming or has consumed alcoholic drinks. Along with alcohol breath tests, a breathalyzer drug test can also help companies manage and check on their workforce showing signs of drug and alcohol consumption at the workplace. Having a workplace alcohol and drug testing policy will surely benefit both the company and the employees. Drug tests and alcohol breath testing devices like the breathalyzers from Breathalysers Australia can help keep the workplace safe and risk-free. Conducting alcohol and drug tests promotes a safer and healthier workplace environments. Furthermore, companies and businesses can effectively minimize workplace accidents that come from drug and alcohol use.

Breathalyzer drug test: When can you use Breath Tests?

Companies can conduct a pre-employment breathalyzer drug test or alcohol breath screening test for aspiring job applicants. This kind of screening is typically the last step in the application process. Furthermore, most companies and businesses would conduct pre-employment drug and alcohol screenings because the law requires them to maintain workplace safety. Moreover, various state laws and company policies can allow employers to legally test applicants. 

Companies use various drug and alcohol testing methods for workplace tests. A breathalyzer drug test can be one of these one day. However, for now, alcohol breath testing will remain the more common and sought-after test. Employees can be tested on-site depending on the company’s workplace drug and alcohol testing policy. Conducting an alcohol breath test is easy with the help of the workplace breathalysers available on Breathalysers Australia. These breathalysers offer users a one-button push feature that provides quick and easy access to breath testing.

How would a Breathalyzer drug test work?

The alcohol breath testing machine is easy to operate. BACtrack breathalyzers only need about 15 seconds to warm up, and the individual only needs to blow into the device firmly. The device will analyze the breath sample and provide the results within seconds. Results are instant and highly accurate. There is no need for confirmation from a laboratory. If the tests result are positive, employers can can take immediate action based on the workplace policy. Employee health and safety is essential in the workplace. The policy should clearly state the terms, procedures and repercussions of workplace drug and alcohol testing. A breathalyzer drug test can one day be as easy as an alcohol breathalyser test. 

Breathalyzer Maintenance

The breath testing device must be calibrated and certified to give constant and highly accurate BAC readings. Furthermore, it is safe to assume that a breathalyzer drug test would also require recalibration once in a while. To get the most precise reading from a breathalyzer, keep in mind the following:

• Do not hyperventilate or hypoventilate; this may cause inaccurate BAC readings.
• Send the unit for calibration service every 6-12 months. 
• Ensure that you keep the device in its protective case when not in use so that the sensor does not get damaged or contaminated.

Breathalysers Australia 

We are the exclusive Australian representative for BACtrack breathalyzers and are the only company certified to recalibrate their equipment in Australia. The recalibration requirement for the BACtrack Xtend® Fuel Cell Sensor range is 12 months or 1,000 tests, whichever comes first. All units that we sell are serial number tracked, and we send an email at 11 months to the customer letting them know that recalibration is coming due the following month. We perform this service in New South Wales, and the turnaround is 1-2 business days. Typically, if kept within the calibration requirement, you will get long-term use from an Xtend® Fuel Cell breathalyzer. As a general reminder, for now, it is safe to assume that Breathalysers Australia cannot advise customers about a breathalyzer drug test, since we only deal with breath alcohol testers. 

Calibration Service

We are only certified to calibrate units we have sold in the past 18 months or recalibrated in the last 18 months. All breathalyzer devices require recalibration on a time basis to remain accurate. The  breathalyzers from Breathalysers Australia have the most extended recalibration requirements in the Australian market at 12 months. Anything longer than this time frame might affect the device’s accuracy. The reason breathalyzers cannot be left for a prolonged time without recalibration is that the sensors drift to a point where they may not hold calibration for the expected periods. This is potentially how dangerous decisions can be made based on what the equipment tells you. BACtrack breathalyzers are worth the investment. Having a personal breathalyzer on hand can help keep you and your loved ones safe from alcohol-related incidents. A device capable of providing a breathalyzer drug test would probably have the same recalibration requirements.