chemistry question #3458  Ross Richardson, a 29 year old male
from Battle Creek, MI asks on May 22, 2006,   How long does it
take for alcohol to be detected through the skin after your
first drink? Is there currently a sensor out there to detect
alcohol through skin contact?  viewed 13199 times  the answer
Barry Shell answered on May 22, 2006, A:  It takes about 30 to
120 minutes depending on the location of the sensor, the type of
skin, and many other factors. Such a sensor was patented by a
Canadian named Dennis Bellehumeur in 2005, but so far the
product has not come to market. A company in Colorado called
Alcohol Monitoring Systems Inc. makes an ankle bracelet called
SCRAM that is currently used by many American courts to monitor
alcohol use in repeatedly convicted and violent alcoholics. An
excellent review of alcohol skin sensor technology by Patrick
Barone, a Michigan defense attorney, has an explanation of how
these devices work. It also has a good bibliography of books and
scientific research papers