BACtrack Breathalyzers Celebrates 13th Anniversary with Industry Accolades

SAN FRANCISCO, May 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today BACtrack, the leader in personal and professional-grade breathalyzers, celebrates its 13^th anniversary developing innovative products in an emerging market and the one-year anniversary of its genre-defining smartphone product, BACtrack Mobile.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,000 people die every year in alcohol-impaired driving accidents.  Recent research shows that 70% of American drinkers believe that owning a breathalyzer would allow them to gauge when they have had enough to drink, and over 80% of American drinkers view a breathalyzer as a serious, decision-making tool. With the 2013 recommendation by the National Transportation Safety Board for states to reduce the legal blood-alcohol limit while driving from 0.08% to 0.05%, the ability for individuals to monitor their alcohol consumption has become even more crucial.

Pioneering an Industry
When BACtrack was founded in 2001, breathalyzers were primarily for law enforcement use and costs were high. Keith Nothacker, CEO and Founder of BACtrack, recognized that someone could be arrested and sent to jail with a Blood Alcohol Content over 0.08%, but that the general public had no way to actually test and measure their own BAC. As an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, Nothacker developed the first line of consumer breathalyzers. 

In 2004, BACtrack was the first company to ever receive U.S. Food & Drug Administration 510(k) marketing clearance to legally sell breathalyzers to consumers for personal use. Since then, the company has worked to simplify the product, reduce the cost of the technology, and increase consumer awareness.

Today, BACtrack offers a wide range of breathalyzers for both personal and professional use and they are used by consumers, businesses, schools, clinics, hospitals, law enforcement, and even the U.S. military around the world.

Defining the Smartphone Revolution
In April 2013, BACtrack launched the BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer, the first smartphone breathalyzer to combine professional-grade fuel cell sensor technology, Bluetooth connectivity, and app-enabled features. With BACtrack Mobile, users can obtain a BAC result, view safety information, and monitor how alcohol affects the body at each BAC point. The ZeroLine® feature also shows a user approximately how long alcohol will remain in their bloodstream after consumption. 

Industry Awards and Recognition
BACtrack's suite of products continues to be recognized by top research and media publications. BACtrack is featured in the 2013 December issue of Popular Science and the BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer received the 2013 Best of What's New Award (Popular Science's top honor) for its innovation in health. Popular Science stated BACtrack and the other award recipients are "poised to change the world," and they "challenge us to the see the future in a new light."

Most recently, both the BACtrack Keychain Breathalyzer and BACtrack Mobile received Car and Driver's highest ratings in an industry-wide comparison testing of personal breathalyzers. The BACtrack Mobile also received a "very good" use rating by CNET, and was voted a Bronze winner for "Security & Safety" in the Industrial Design category in the 2014 Edison Awards.

About BACtrack
San Francisco-based BACtrack is the U.S. leader in breathalyzers, offering a full range of innovative products for both personal and professional use. Founded in 2001, BACtrack helps people monitor their blood alcohol content and make informed decisions about alcohol consumption. In 2013, BACtrack launched BACtrack Mobile, the world's first Smartphone breathalyzer that uses fuel cell sensor technology and Bluetooth connectivity and has since won Popular Science's 2013 'Best of What's New' Award for its innovation in health. BACtrack breathalyzers are available in 20 countries and at over 10,000 store locations including Walgreens and Best Buy and seasonally at Costco. BACtrack products can also be purchased online at BACtrack.com, Amazon, Brookstone, and drugstore.com. BACtrack products have been featured on Oprah's All Stars, The Dr. Phil Show, The Doctors, and MythBusters. Connect with BACtrack via Twitter and on Facebook. For more company information, visit www.bactrack.com. 

Media Contact:
Chris Prouty, MWW
213-405-3797
[email protected]

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SOURCE BACtrack