Technological Weapons Join the Fight Against Underage Drinking
April was National Alcohol Awareness month, fitting timing as the calendar turns from May to June and high schoolers across the country celebrate their annual rites of passage: prom and graduation. These events symbolize the closing of one chapter, and the opening of the next one – one featuring greater independence (and responsibility). For now, these upcoming weeks are laser-focused on the outfits, the dates, and the after-parties. Yet behind these celebrations lurk the very real dangers of underage drinking and impaired driving.
It need not be so. Picture this ideal scenario: Students leave their homes and head off to prom. They dance the night away, record TikTok videos with friends and create happy memories to carry them through the rest of their lives. Meanwhile, their parents stay at home and calmly head to bed, knowing their children are in good hands. Everyone has a terrific time, arriving back home safe and sober. How is this scene achieved?
Our company has developed the world’s first preventative touch-based alcohol detection technology. What does this mean? As students enter and depart an event, they would simply put two fingers down on an unobtrusive device that resembles a large computer mouse. Within just 10 seconds, the technology confirms identity and the absence or presence of alcohol – and communicates results in real-time to school administrators. Breathalyzers are invasive, embarrassing, and unhygienic. With our access control device SOBRcheck™, no breath, blood or urine sample is required, just the touch of a finger. It is also highly effective, with a 93% alcohol detection accuracy rate. SOBRcheck is a more efficient and humane way for schools to monitor events, giving parents the peace of mind that their teens are safe.
As stunning as the concept sounds, the technology isn't science fiction. Organizations across the country are already utilizing SOBRcheck to keep our workplaces and roadways alcohol-free. SOBRcheck has received the Child Safety Network Safe Family Seal of Approval, and was awarded the Occupational Health & Safety 2022 New Product of the Year for Safety Monitoring Devices.
The SOBRcheck technology is now available for schools, with a sea change in alcohol safety cresting nationwide. Precautionary measures, including breathalyzers and limousine searches, have been written into the student handbook for prom attendees. Although a positive step in a more vigilant direction, these guidelines and expectations aren't foolproof. Some students aware of these measures might leave early (or not show up at all), to begin the real party. Teens who consume media daily are being shown a world of drugs and alcohol that painting an unrealistic picture of the high school experience. It encourages a culture of drinking that is problematic, yet perceived as cool. The historical narrative assumes peer pressure is the greatest factor in drinking decisions, but are we sure this cultural hypothesis is correct?
Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a non-profit focused on preventing drunk driving and its outcomes, has the data to suggest otherwise. Contrary to parents’ belief, a study published by MADD revealed most teenagers say their parents have the greatest influence in their drinking activity. Clearly the power to prevent risky behavior begins at home. Yet more than half of parents admit to speaking with their teens about drinking infrequently, or not at all. We believe SOBRsafe can help shift this paradigm.
The same revolutionary touch-based technology found in the SOBRcheck solution is now available in a sleek, fitness-style wearable band. The SOBRsafe™ band is a game changer for parents, especially those with a teen driver. SOBRsure provides continuous remote alcohol monitoring, with results delivered to their phones in real time. SOBRsure also features GPS tracking and even provides band removal alerts. Injecting a third-party technology into the question can facilitate the conversation and eliminate worry, and even provide teens a handy excuse to avoid drinking.
As students walk across the graduation stage, they reminisce about their four-year journey toward this last hurrah. Whether they consider their varied highs and lows as mistakes, growing pains or life lessons, they are all pieces of a unique and textured life story – one that is just underway. April's Alcohol Awareness Month reminds us to focus on preserving teen lives and reinventing the status quo. Let's instill a culture of prevention, one that future generations will consider the norm.
Dave Gandini, Chairman & Chief Revenue Officer SOBRSafe, is a serial entrepreneur and has spent his career identifying and seizing opportunities in telecommunications, technology, software, and automated packaging. In his role at SOBRSafe, he is responsible for capital creation, new business acquisition, business strategy & development, and partnership revenue generation.
