Headline PH: Lohan's ankle bracelet has Breathalyzer technology

NEW YORK – If an alcohol-monitoring bracelet can keep celebrities like Lindsay Lohan from drinking, some parents might wonder, Can I get one for my teen?

The answer is no.

For the time being, the ankle bracelets are only sold to the courts, probation officers and others who want to make sure drunken drivers or anyone involved in alcohol-related offenses don't drink again.

"That might be a market down the road," said Kathleen Brown, a spokeswoman for Alcohol Monitoring Systems Inc., which makes the only alcohol ankle bracelet.

In the meantime, the Denver-based company is focusing on the corrections market, she said.

One of the devices was slapped on Lohan's ankle Monday by a judge angered because the actress didn't show up for a hearing last week in Beverly Hills, Calif., and instead attended the Cannes Film Festival in France. It's her second go-around with the bracelet — and she's not the only celebrity to sport one.

Rapper-actress Eve wore one and ex-basketball star Jayson Williams was forced to earlier this year.

The gadgets are much like the better known electronic ankle bracelets that have been used for years to restrict suspects or parolees to their homes. (The alcohol bracelets can now do that too, if needed.)

The bracelet uses the same technology as a Breathalyzer, but instead of checking the breath for alcohol, it samples the perspiration on the skin. After alcohol is consumed, it eventually enters the bloodstream and a small amount is expelled through the skin.

The bracelet tests the skin every half hour. If there's alcohol, it causes a chemical reaction in the device's fuel cell. Usually once a day, the information is sent over phone lines to the company, which alerts the courts or probation officer if alcohol is detected at a blood-alcohol level of 0.02 or higher.

It won't pick up very small amounts and it takes a while to reach the skin. A 180-pound man would register 0.02 if he has two 5-ounce drinks in less than an hour on an empty stomach, according to Brown.

The alcohol bracelets — called SCRAM for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring — have been available since 2003, and are in use in every state except Hawaii. To date, they've been worn by 136,000 people, for an average of 90 days, Brown said. The device costs about $1,500, she said.

By STEPHANIE NANO,
Associated Press Writer

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Lohan's ankle bracelet has Breathalyzer technology

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