What is a Passive Alcohol Test?
Passive alcohol tests measure alcohol in the air, which may come from an open beer can or the exhaled breath of an intoxicated person. When using a passive alcohol test device the subject is asked to blow at, or to speak towards the passive test device. The passive alcohol test device detects any alcohol in the breath. Passive devices cannot accurately measure intoxication levels; their role is as a pass/fail test to identify individuals who have been drinking.
Examples of passive alcohol test devices include the P.A.S. V flashlight alcohol detector, the P.A.S. Sentry, and the P.A.S. Vr. The Alco-Sensor FST can be operated either as a conventional direct breath tester or as a passive test device.
One advantage of passive alcohol test devices is they do not use mouthpieces, eliminating a significant operating cost. Devices like the Alco-Sensor FST use sampling cups to help funnel the subject’s breath into the device. However, because subjects do not touch their mouth to the sampling cup, there is no need to change the sampling cup after every test.
Why Test Using Passive Testing?
Operators may need to use passive alcohol testing when screening large groups to check for alcohol in the breath. Some workplace industries, such as mining, require alcohol detection through passive sampling. In mining, for example, employees provide a breath sample before returning to work in the mine. This process aims to prevent alcohol-related accidents and maintain workplace safety. Passive breath sampling is also commonly used to quickly screen groups of people entering an event.