Oregon Bars Try To Reduce DUIs Using New Technology

ALOHA, OR — A Washington County startup hopes to save lives by giving bar patrons an opportunity to check their own blood alcohol content level before attempting to get behind the wheel; but Washington County law enforcement officials say, 'If you're questioning your own impairment, you shouldn't be getting behind the wheel anyway.'

Aloha resident Dixie Yagle, co-owner of Level Head, LLC., told Patch she wants to affect the community in a positive way after experiencing her own struggles with alcoholism, including a driving under the influence charge in 2001.

"I'm all about personal responsibility," Yagle said, noting her own recovery as the impetus for her push to give back to the community. "My dream is to save lives."

Now a peer support specialist for a local recovery organization (and eight years sober), Yagle last week installed her first five Level Head blood alcohol content (BAC)-measuring kiosks at bars in Canby, Portland, and Aloha — and she hopes to quickly expand throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The free-to-use kiosks allow revelers to test their BAC by blowing into the device through a provided straw. The machines, which reportedly use the same technology as law enforcement-grade breathalyzer devices, can measure a person's BAC to within .01 percent — so long as the instructions provided on the kiosk's screen are followed precisely.

Revolutionary breathalyzer kiosks are being installed in bars across the nation, though groups like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and some law enforcement agencies have not immediately given their endorsements.

"Intoxication tests provided by law enforcement are very specific and involved — all designed to be the most accurate," Washington County Sheriff's spokesman Jeff Talbot told Patch. "Our tests can even be affected by cell phone and radio frequencies. So, I'm not sure of the accuracy of the kiosks … (but) if you're not sure you're able to drive in the first place, it's probably a safer choice to get a ride."

With sons 21 and 17 years old both driving, Yagle knows the risk of either being involved in an alcohol-related crash. She just hopes her experiences will teach them valuable lessons as well.

"When I got my DUII in 2001, the part that impacted me the most was that I thought I was totally fine to drive," Yagle said. "I didn't think twice about it — until I saw the red and blues behind me."

The fallout from that experience has always stayed with Yagle, she said. So too has the story about a woman she knew who died in a drunk driving accident, leaving behind two of her own children.

Prior to the fatal accident, Yagle said she had a bad experience with the woman who died, but even still felt sad for her family who now had to live without her for her choices.

So, when she was finally able, Yagle spent $300 and with her boyfriend established Level Head. Then another man she knew from recovery came along, liked the idea, and volunteered to invest $16,000 of his own for a stake in the company.

Her silent partner's investment helped purchase the first six kiosks, which they've installed at the Double Aught Ranch in Canby, Pyzanos Lounge in Aloha, and three establishments in Portland: Church, at 2600 N.E. Sandy Blvd.; Splash, at 904 N.W. Couch St.; and Paris Theatre, at 6 S.W. Third Ave. The sixth kiosk they hope to install in Vancouver, Washington.

To expand any further, Yagle's boyfriend, Brandon Treat (who specializes in advertising), said Level Head will need to find more businesses interested in advertising on the kiosks.

Because users are not required to pay for their BAC tests, and because bar owners don't have to pay for the kiosks to be in their establishments, Level Head relies on sponsors for revenue.

By purchasing time on the kiosk's rotating screen saver, an advertisement could reach upwards of 5,000 to 6,000 people per month (at all the bars hosting the kiosks), Treat said. Rotating every four minutes could advertise any one business 200 times during the business day; and because Treat can upload the advertisements remotely, the kiosks are updated quickly and regularly — in case an advertiser wants to get out a specific daily special.

Treat said businesses within 5 miles of the bar hosting the kiosk would best be served by its advertising, and that the advertising revenue will help Level Head purchase more machines to install in more bars — ostensibly saving more lives.

"There's a theory called 'harm reduction,'" Yagle said, noting needle exchanges as a comparison to her kiosks. "People are going to drink, people are going to use — you can't prevent that. I just want to reduce harm as a whole."

The kiosks, beyond putting the responsibility of controlling alcohol intake into the hands of the drinkers themselves, also gives bar owners a better tool to help bartenders from over-serving anyone. And, Talbot said, if nothing else, the kiosks can also help as a reminder to party-goers that a driver can still be arrested in Oregon even if their BAC is below the .08 legal limit.

"It's pretty simple," he said. "If you're impaired, don't drive."

But in the event you're still unsure, Level Head's kiosks will be there to help clarify.

Image via Level Head LLC.