Alcohol Dependence Screening & How a Breathalyser Can Help
21 April, 2022
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a common issue worldwide. It can lead to unhealthy habits. Moreover, it can also drastically affect your relationships with friends and family, performance at work, and overall lifestyle. Many nowadays use alcohol dependence screening tools to assess and prevent themselves from acquiring and developing AUD. Self-assessment tools can significantly help individuals monitor themselves effectively. Additionally, reading through these assessment tools can also aid individuals to understand their current situation. Being able to monitor yourself can help you determine what needs to be done. Without a doubt, constant use of these screening tools can help individuals set practical short-term and long-term goals for preventing AUD.
Alcohol dependence screening tests can provide goals for individuals to follow. Reading through the criteria of these tests can help an individual understand the dos and don’ts for preventing AUD. Additionally, these tests enable individuals to become more self-aware of what they do. Aside from screening tools, another helpful tool that can help monitor and prevent AUD is a breathalyser. The personal breathalysers available on Breathalysers New Zealand can effectively monitor alcohol consumption. These devices can provide real-time alcohol tests to check for an individual’s current Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). Knowing your BAC can help you determine if you’ve consumed too much alcohol. Furthermore, this can help you avoid overconsumption and maintain a healthy consumption pattern. Practical alcohol consumption monitoring tools can help individuals know when to stop or slow down consumption.
Alcohol Dependence Screening with a Breathalyser
Breath tests through a breathalyser can determine an individual’s exact blood alcohol level. Breathalysers are highly reliable breath alcohol testing devices. Alcohol tests with a personal breathalyser from Breathalysers New Zealand can be quick and straightforward. All you must do is turn on the device and blow into its mouthpiece. This method is the most effective way for checking your BAC personally. Your BAC level is directly proportional to your intoxication level. Therefore, the more alcohol you consume, the higher your BAC would be. Moreover, during an alcohol dependence screening assessment, users can use a personal breathalyser to determine their current state. Knowing your BAC level after consuming alcohol can help you assess your alcohol consumption pattern. This information can help you choose the amount you should consume to maintain a safer BAC.
Alcohol dependence screening tests and a personal breathalyser can help individuals avoid dangerous consumption patterns. By assessing themselves with the criteria of a screening test and checking their BAC, individuals can ensure that they are practising safer alcohol consumption habits. Having guidelines and specific BAC levels to watch out for can help individuals maintain safer consumption habits. For example, constant self-assessment and BAC level readings can help individuals decide the amount they could consume within an hour. Monitoring intake can drastically help prevent AUD. Additionally, consumption monitoring can also help:
- Improve safety before driving
- Avoid trouble with law enforcers (due to drink driving)
- Prevent acquiring severe drink driving penalties
Alcohol Dependence Screening: How is it done?
An alcohol dependence screening test contains a set of questions that are answerable through one-word answers (like yes, no, never). These questions can help you determine where you stand regarding alcohol usage. When taking this test, you should be aware of some very personal questions. An example of a highly effective self-screening test is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). This test is developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and it contains questions similar to these:
- How often do you consume alcohol?
- How often do you consume six or more drinks in one sitting?
- What is the usual amount of alcoholic beverages you could consume in one sitting?
- How often did you struggle to stop drinking once you have started (within this year?)
- How often did you fail a task (this year) that is normally expected from you due to alcohol consumption?
- Are you regularly unable to remember what happened the night before when consuming alcohol (this year)?
- How often do you need a drink first thing in the morning to make you feel better after a heavy alcohol consumption session the day before?
- How often (this year) that you feel guilt or remorse after consuming alcohol?
- Have you (or someone else) been injured because of your alcohol consumption?
- Has a friend, family member, or doctor (or other healthcare workers) ever been concerned about your alcohol consumption (have they asked to stop or cut down)?
Alcohol Dependence Screening: Quick Self-assessment
An alcohol dependence screening test may seem like a long process, but it is important to note that all these questions can be answered with just one word. Moreover, these tests can help you assess your current alcohol consumption habits. AUD can be mild, moderate, or severe, and these tests can help you determine your state. Furthermore, aside from monitoring your habits from time to time, having a personal device from Breathalysers New Zealand can help you assess yourself every time you consume alcohol. Limiting your BAC from surpassing a certain level every time you consume alcohol can play a vital role in preventing AUD. For example, individuals can limit themselves to 0.05% BAC (also New Zealand’s driving limit) when consuming alcohol. When individuals notice they are nearing their limit, they could slow down or stop. This method can help prevent people from getting carried away and consuming too much.
Breath Tests with Breathalyser from Breathalysers New Zealand
When looking for a personal breathalyser to pair with an alcohol dependence screening test, we recommend prioritising accuracy. Almost all the personal breathalysers available on Breathalysers New Zealand have fuel cell sensors. These are the most accurate sensors available for personal and professional devices. These are the same sensors you would find in a police officer’s breathalyser. Moreover, fuel cell sensors are also only sensitive to ethyl alcohol, reducing the likelihood of false-positive results. Additionally, the BACtrack personal devices on Breathalysers New Zealand are highly convenient. These devices only need 10 to 15 seconds to process your BAC. Furthermore, they also feature one-button operations, allowing users to begin a breath test with just a push of a button.
Conclusion
Including an alcohol dependence screening test and a breathalyser test within your routine can have various benefits. These benefits can drastically improve your quality of life and overall safety. Issues like AUD can now easily be avoided with constant self-assessment. These alcohol dependence tests are readily available online. Anyone can take advantage of their availability to help ensure their safety and health. Furthermore, personal breathalysers are also easily accessible. These devices pair well with effective self-assessment tools. There is a variety of personal BACtrack breathalysers available on Breathalysers New Zealand. Would-be breathalysers users can choose from the keychain, smartphone, and professional-grade models available on Breathalysers NZ.