Blood-alcohol test push cart aims to reduce DWIs

Raleigh, N.C. — Bar patrons wondering if they are too intoxicated to drive can now find out their blood alcohol level by using a new push cart vending service.

Doug Scott pushed his “Blow This” cart, featuring a breath test device, in downtown Raleigh Friday night. Scott said the test, which costs $5, is a “great tool” for people trying to avoid being arrested for driving while intoxicated.

“It does provide an educational tool for people to make better decisions about whether they drive or not,” Scott said.

Scott said the breath-test device is the same one used by police officers. Scott is a former police lieutenant, who specialized in the areas of substance abuse impairment and general traffic safety. He is a court-recognized expert in the area of alcohol and drug impairment detection and evaluation.

The Drug and Alcohol Risk Management company has provided the cart Friday and Saturday from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. The group focuses on educating clients on the prevention and detection of drug and alcohol-related abuse.

Drug and Alcohol Risk Management teamed with Safe Ride Home for the downtown Raleigh events to offer an alternative to driving while intoxicated.

Eliza Ruffner, a downtown patron, thinks Scott will have plenty of customers downtown due to the large crowds.

“I would rather pay $5 to get my alcohol level checked than pay $1,000 or so if I got a DUI,” Ruffner said.

Downtown patron Chris Cox thinks the cart will be popular as a novelty for people wondering “how drunk” they are.

Scott said he hopes the new business will save lives and make people think about getting behind the wheel.

“If they do this and decide still to drive, even if they have a high breath alcohol, my advice to them is not to do it,” Scott said.

While the Raleigh Police Department representatives said they cannot endorse a business, they said they are behind the message of keeping drunk drivers off the street.