A home breathalyzer can do more than simply display an individual’s blood alcohol content (BAC). In fact, with proper and regular use, a personal breathalyzer can actually teach individuals about the various ways drinking can and does effect them. It can also help those same individuals understand how to drink in a more responsible manner which ultimately, can save lives.

So how do home breathalyzers manage to teach a valuable lesson and even prevent tragedies? By being easy to use, accurate and by being readily available to test at the drop of a hat (or the blow of a breath!) Of course, not all home breathalyzer devices are made equal so be sure to research various models before you buy.

Once you do select the right one for your lifestyle and for your family’s needs, be sure to follow the instructions from the manufacturer. Most home breathalyzer instructions will state that anyone who wishes to test their blood alcohol content should do the following:

1. Wait at least 20 minutes from the last swallow of alcohol and last bite of food before testing.

2. Turn the personal breathalyzer on and wait for it to display that it is ready to test (this should take under to about a minute for most models.

3. Breathe in deeply and begin to blow out before your mouth is placed on or over the blow area (some home breathalyzer devices feature mouthpieces and some simply have a designated place to blow directly into the device.) After a few seconds of blowing out, continue blowing as your mouth closes over the mouthpiece. Blow steady and slowly.

4. Wait a few seconds and read the display.

It’s that easy and that quick to conduct a BAC test with your home breathalyzer. What’s even better is that once you understand how to properly use your device, you can then begin to gain a greater understanding of how different types of alcohol effect your BAC as well as your cognitive and corporal skills.

For instance, have a glass of wine with dinner and 20 minutes later, pull out your handy home breathalyzer. The next day, have the wine before eating dinner and then test your BAC. The following week, have a beer or other alcoholic beverage of choice either with or without food. If you test regularly, every time you drink, you’ll gain a fantastic understanding of how your body and mind, as well as your blood alcohol content, react to various types of alcoholic beverages at various times of day.

This knowledge will help you gain the proper respect for the power alcohol can have over your decision making and over your physical abilities. Once you’ve obtained an understanding and appreciation for what it can do to you, you’ll then be better equipped to drink responsibly and to make better decisions in regard to how much and what types of alcohol you drink both at home and at the bar.