Goodbye, self-monitoring. Hello, real-time monitoring.
BACTrack Skyn is the newest blood alcohol monitoring device from the company that also gave us the Bluetooth breathalyzer and the coordinating app. But there are several differences between their series of breathalyzers and the new Skyn.
Self-Monitoring vs. Real-Time Monitoring
The first, and probably most important one is that you won't need to rely strictly on self-monitoring anymore. That means that those nifty drinking tracker cards you were using can be replaced with something you won't have to remember to fill out - or bring with you.
How about that awesome app that tells you how many calories are in the drink you've just consumed? Well, those can help, but again, they rely on you being able to input data. That's nearly impossible to do (accurately) when your BAC is high enough. You may just plain forget to do it. How are you going to cut back on drinking when you haven't been tracking vital information?
What about having a designated driver? Or a friend who tells you, "John, you're keys. Give me your drunk." While your buddy may be able to keep you from falling off the curb and can help you into your house without robbing you, someone isn't always available to look after you when you get into that situation.
That's a problem the Skyn has solved. It has real-time updates. That means that it's going to monitor you constantly, from your first drink all the way until you're sober and beyond.
The Skyn comes with a sensor on the back of it, which connects with your wrist. The second alcohol hits your system you'll be able to see how it affects your blood alcohol level. You may be surprised to learn how quickly your BAC shoots up while wearing it.
Of course, alcohol affects everyone differently. So you may be able to take in more drinks than your friend Jen, who's only on her second wine cooler and has a BAC of 1.0. That's the wonderful thing about this product - it's information is tailored to you. It not only tells you when you're drunk, it also tells you how long it's going to take you to get sober.
It is estimated that it takes your body one hour to get rid of one drink. So if you have five drinks, you'll be sober in five hours. But that's not always the case. Again, everyone's body is different. It also depends on what kind of drink you have; if you swallowed the worm then you might not be sober for 48 hours or more.
But no matter what kind of alcohol you consume, the Skyn can accurately monitor your BAC.
Is This the End of Self-Monitoring?
Will it replace the breathalyzer?
Probably not. After all, cops still use breathalyzers to monitor for drunk driving. And you may still need to use it to report to other authority figures too, including your friends. But, unlike the breathalyzer, the Skyn allows you to leave notes on your charts so that you can pinpoint exactly when you started to feel like the room was upside down. The idea is that once you become aware of exactly how much you drank and how it affects you, you can take educated steps in order to reduce your alcohol level so you can drink responsibly.
Interestingly, the Skyn's potential will open up a whole new world of possibilities in medical research. While the general public will have access to it, medical professionals will find much more uses for it than trying to see if you can survive a college frat party.
Release Date and Pricing
The BACtrack Skyn comes out in US Summer of 2017. It will have a price tag of around $99. There are two versions: a bracelet and an Apple Watch attachment. The bracelet will have a phone app that lets you see your readings on your phone. The attachment for the Apple Watch will allow you to monitor your BAC from your wrist.
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