PREVENTION | SELF TEST
Self-testing device for measuring alcohol (ethanol) concentration in breath
The Alco Selftest® is a single-use breath analyzer with an integrated reagent mixture inside the test device, allowing accurate measurement of alcohol concentration in exhaled breath.
It identifies three threshold levels of alcohol in breath – 0.2‰, 0.5‰, and 0.8‰ – providing an overall accuracy and reliability of 98%.
• According to statistics, around 25% of road fatalities are caused by alcohol consumption.
• Self-testing with Alco Selftest® provides awareness and understanding helping individuals decide not to drive or to drive cautiously.
• The test can be easily and reliably repeated to confirm a negative result, ensuring safe drivingy.
• Not knowing how much one has drunk often leads to overconfidence, especially among young drivers, who may falsely believe they are sober.
• Self-testing and the immediate display of a positive result increases compliance with safe driving practices and accident prevention.
Read the instructions before proceeding with the test
INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS
Compare the resulting color with the color scale on the package.
The most accurate comparison can be made under good lighting or natural daylight.
If the color obtained is similar to the 0.2‰ (per ml) scale*, this indicates a breath alcohol concentration of 0.2‰ (per ml) or higher*, depending on the color intensity.
DO NOT DRIVE UNLESS YOU HAVE A NEGATIVE RESULT.
It is available at pharmacies throughout Greece and at selected retail points.
Click to locate the nearest pharmacy to you.
What do I need to know about the Alco selftest®?
Τι συμβαίνει εάν το Alco Selftest® είναι θετικό;
Εάν το αποτέλεσμα του Alco Selftest® είναι θετικό, σημαίνει ότι έχει ανιχνευθεί κατά την εκπνοή σας αλκοόλη. Ανάλογα το επίπεδο συγκέντρωσης αντιλαμβανόμαστε την ποσότητα αλκοόλ που έχουμε καταναλώσει.
Πόσο ακριβές είναι το Alco Selftest®;
Σε άμεση σύγκριση με ποσοτικούς αναλυτές μέτρησης αλκοόλ στην αναπνοή το Alco Selftest® έδωσε ευαισθησία και αξιοπιστία:
• για το όριο συγκέντρωσής μηδέν῏-0,2 96%
• Για το όριο συγκέντρωσης 0,5 95%
• Για το όριο συγκέντρωσης 0,8 100%
Συγκριτική ευαισθησία και αξιοπιστία συγκριτικά με την ποσοτική μέθοδο ανάλυσης εκπνοής είναι συνολικά 98%
Ref :
Production data on file analysis
Transcom International Labatorium
Τι συνέπειες έχει η καταναλώση αλκοόλ στην βιολογική μου κατάσταση;
Η κατανάλωση αλκοόλ επηρεάζει αρνητικά τις ικανότητες του οδηγού, όπως:
• Καθυστερημένα αντανακλαστικά: Αυξάνει τον χρόνο αντίδρασης σε επικίνδυνες καταστάσεις.
• Μειωμένος συντονισμός: Δυσκολία στον έλεγχο του οχήματος και στην εκτέλεση σύνθετων κινήσεων.
• Αυξημένη αυτοπεποίθηση: Οδηγεί σε υπερεκτίμηση των ικανοτήτων του οδηγού και σε λήψη επικίνδυνων αποφάσεων.
• Η άγνοια του πόσο έχουμε πιει και πόσο μπορεί να επιδράσει στην οδήγηση μας είναι ο μεγαλύτερος παράγοντας ο οποίος αυξάνει την αυτοπεποίθηση και θεωρούμε ότι δεν έχουμε πιεί αρκετά για να βιώσουμε τις επικίνδυνα αρνητικές επιδράσεις του αλκοόλ στην οδήγηση
• Η κατανόηση αυτών των επιδράσεων είναι κρίσιμη για την πρόληψη τροχαίων ατυχημάτων και την ενίσχυση της οδικής ασφάλειας.
Τι μπορεί να σημαίνει θετικό αποτέλεσμα στο τεστ παχέος εντέρου (εξέταση κρυφού αίματος);
Το τεστ σας θα μπορούσε να δείξει θετικό αποτέλεσμα και να μην έχετε καρκίνο σαν αποτέλεσμα, εάν έχετε αιμορραγία από άλλες πηγές, όπως έλκος στομάχου, αιμορροΐδα ή ακόμα και αίμα που κατάπιατε από το στόμα ή τη μύτη σας. Η πραγματοποίηση μιας εξέτασης κρυφού αίματος στα κόπρανα μπορεί να οδηγήσει σε πρόσθετες εξετάσεις και σε άμεση επικοινωνία με τον γαστρεντερολόγο σας.
What is Alco Selftest® and what does it measure?
Alco Selftest® is designed as a self-testing device for detecting the alcohol concentration in exhaled breath.
It allows you to immediately determine the alcohol content in your breath with an *accuracy of 0.2‰ (permille)**, equivalent to 0.1 mg/L in exhaled air.
For the most accurate results, the test should be performed at least 15 minutes after the last consumption of alcohol.
Smoking, as well as the consumption of certain foods or beverages, may lead to inaccurate results; therefore, you should wait at least 15 minutes after your last cigarette and/or meal or drink before starting the test.
The breath alcohol detection test consists of a glass tube containing a reactive substance, adsorption granules, filters, an aluminum sheet, and two protective caps.
What happens if the Alco Selftest® is positive?
If the Alco Selftest® result is positive, it means that alcohol has been detected in your breath.
Depending on the level of concentration, you can understand the approximate amount of alcohol you have consumed.
What are the effects of alcohol consumption on my physical and mental state?
Alcohol consumption negatively affects driving abilities, such as:
• Delayed reflexes: It increases reaction time in dangerous situations.
• Reduced coordination: It causes difficulty in controlling the vehicle and performing complex maneuvers.
• Increased self-confidence: It leads to overestimation of one’s abilities and risky decision-making.
• Lack of awareness about how much one has drunk and how it affects driving is a major factor that increases overconfidence, leading individuals to believe they have not consumed enough alcohol to experience its dangerous effects.
Understanding these effects is crucial for preventing traffic accidents and promoting road safety.
How soon can I repeat the self-test with Alco Selftest?
To check whether your alcohol levels have changed since the previous measurement, it is recommended to repeat the test after at least 30 minutes, provided that no additional alcohol has been consumed and you have adequately hydrated in the meantime.
The liver metabolizes approximately one unit of alcohol per hour.
The same waiting time applies if you have not eaten or drunk anything, in order to ensure a reliable result when using the Alco Selftest.
For accurate measurement, the test should be performed at least 15 minutes after your last alcohol intake, and no smoking or food consumption should occur within the previous 15 minutes, as these factors may lead to inaccurate results.
How long should I wait without eating or drinking before using the Alco Selftest?
For proper use of the Alco Selftest, you should avoid eating, drinking, or smoking for at least 15 minutes before taking the test.
After 15 minutes have passed, you can easily perform the self-test by inhaling and exhaling twice into the mouthpiece on the side with the red markings (arrows around the exhalation mouthpiece).
What can I do if I get a positive result for my safety and prevention?
If the result is positive at the first measurement level (0.2‰ of ethyl alcohol), you should repeat the test after 30 minutes, making sure to drink water in the meantime to help you achieve a negative result before driving safely.
For any higher result, you should avoid driving, and instead ask someone with a negative Alco Selftest result to drive, ensuring you return home safely.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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- World Health Organization. The global health observatory indicators. Attribution of road traffic deaths to alcohol %. https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators. Accessed 20 December 2021.
- EU European Commission: Prevention of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs: European Union 2022
- (ETSC) European Transport Safety Council
- Global status report on road safety 2018. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
- Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (European Commission) , ECORYS , ITS (Prevention of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs)
- NATIONAL DRUGS DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION CENTER (ΕΚΤΕΠΝ), UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH, NEUROSCIENCES AND PRECISION MEDICINE (KOSTAS STEFANIS) (EPIPSY)
- MINISTRY OF HEALTH National Action Plan to address the harmful consequences of alcohol consumption