Potentials of Smart Breathalyzer: Interventions for Excessive Drinking Among College Students

Aehong Min, Daehyoung Lee, Patrick C. Shih

Abstract: Excessive drinking among college students is a significant public health issue. Electronic Screening Brief Intervention (e-SBI) has been shown to be an effective prevention tool, and it has been implemented on personal computers, web, mobile phones and social networking platforms. In this research, we asked college students to discuss about their perception of BACtrack Mobile Pro, the FDA-approved and consumer-oriented smart breathalyzer. We recruited 15 college students who have consumed alcohol regularly, asked them to use the smart breathalyzer for two weeks, and conducted pre- and post-study surveys and interviews. We identified five barriers with design opportunities for the smart breathalyzer: (1) Support from immediate family members or close friends, (2) Personalized results, (3) Intuitive status display, (4) Accessorizing the form factor, and (5) Quicker access. Future mobile and smart wearable e-SBI interventions targeted at college students should take these design considerations into account.