A New Mexico bio-tech company says their new patch, worn on the skin, can tell you when you’ve had too much to drink.
DermaTec has developed a patch that the company says can detect alcohol in a person’s sweat. It’s called the ONUSBlue, as in it’s “on us” to end drunk driving.
“Let’s say you go out with your friends. You put it on and start to have some drinks. It changes colour, after about 40 minutes, that colour designates you’re no longer good to be a designated driver,” DermaTec CEO Anh-Duong Le told NBC.
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The patch is clear in colour and turns blue when the level of alcohol in your blood is too high for driving.
DermaTec hopes to bring its patch to market within a year. The startup told told NBC that they’re trying to get grants to help them mass manufacture the patch.
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They hope the patches will be used by bars and restaurants to detect when their customers had too much to drink to get behind the wheel. They also hope families, friends and those who go out socially drinking will use them to keep roads safe.
“We’re not saying don’t drink. We’re just saying drink responsibly,” co-founder Julia Jones told NBC. “If you choose to drink, get a designated driver, get a hero for the night, or an Uber driver.”
READ MORE: Canada has worst drunk-driving death rate among 19 ‘high income’ countries: study
In Canada, 34 per cent of motor vehicle deaths are related to alcohol impairment, according to the most recent report by the International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group. The country ranks first among 19 wealthy countries for the highest percentage of roadway deaths linked to drinking and driving, the report says.
The United States came in next at 31 per cent, followed by Australia at 30 per cent, and France at 29 per cent.
WATCH: Canada among highest rates of alcohol related road deaths in world
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