The company responsible for the Alcograd, a single-use breathalyser test, is appealing to Carnival band leaders and party promoters to collaborate with them and provide the individual tests to their customers.
“Everything is inclusive now, make this part of our inclusive Carnival,” said Sheri Halal, of Caribbean Breathalyser.
“When you have a Carnival band, people buy a costume with all kind of things in it, make this one of the things you put in your package,” she said.
The packaging for each test can be customised to reflect the theme of the fete.
Halal said they are in the business of saving lives and if the breathalysers are more accessible to people, they will get tested before getting behind the wheel.
“It’s a tool designed to help you make an informed decision,” she said.
At their St James office on Tuesday, Halal said Alcograd is the only product of its kind that is FDA approved and available at pharmacies across the country at an affordable price.
“We’ve packaged it that it would be the cost of a cocktail,” she said. “Our thinking is you can give up one drink to test yourself to make sure the road is safe for you and your loved ones.”
The breathalyser should be taken 20 minutes after the person’s last alcoholic drink. This country’s legal alcohol limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millimetres of breath.
“Once you’ve crossed the dark pink, it is not safe to drive,” Halal said.
The alcohol limit varies per person and there are several factors that contribute, such as weight, gender and food consumption.
“You may drink two beers and not be able to drive where another person will drink two and be fine,” Halal said.
The Caribbean Breathalyser team believe this country needs a cultural shift when it comes to drinking and driving and they believe making this product accessible can be the first step.
