Pocket Breathalyzer meant to save lives

Most 21-year-olds enjoy going out for a drink with their friends. But not all of them worry… Most 21-year-olds enjoy going out for a drink with their friends. But not all of them worry about how they – or people they don’t know – are getting home afterward.

Fortunately for them, Phil Laboon has put a lot of thought into how he, and others, will stay safe. The creator of the Save a Buddy Campaign started distributing one-time use Breathalyzers in the Strip District about a month and a half ago, to help deter people from driving while intoxicated.

The Breathalyzer, which comes in a waterproof key chain, contains a tube with yellow crystals. To use it, a person must breathe into the tube for 12 seconds. If the crystals remain yellow, the person is good to go – at least, according to the law. If the crystals turn blue, he or she cannot legally drive.

After losing two friends to drunk driving accidents, Laboon contacted Mothers Against Drunk Driving to find out how he could get involved. Representatives there said he could volunteer, but Laboon “wanted to do something more than just volunteer.”

Laboon, a successful Web designer, decided to do work on his own. He bought 5,000 Breathalyzers, spending about $10,000 of his own money.

To get the word out during the first few weeks of his program, Laboon gave away about 2,000 Breathalyzers. He began selling them, about three weeks ago, near bars and clubs.

His staff now sells between 15 and 20 units an hour, every night, and he expects to sell about 100,000 units every month.

Though the group charges individuals for the Breathalyzers, profit is not the goal of Laboon’s program.

“Right now, we’re just interested in saving lives,” he said, adding that he is interested in making Save a Buddy a non-profit organization, but he first needs to earn enough money to pay for a lawyer who can sort through the red tape.

According to MADD’s Web site, there were 17,419 deaths caused by alcohol-related traffic accidents in the United States in 2002. Of those, 656 deaths occurred in Pennsylvania.

To help prevent this type of death, Laboon wants his organization to grow. A New Jersey mayor already participated in the program, handing out the Breathalyzers at DUI checkpoints.

Laboon, who graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Technology after attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania for a few years, is interested in hiring college students to distribute the Breathalyzers in bars and clubs in the South Side and Strip District.

He’d like to distribute them between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. – the same hour during which they initially gave out the free Breathalyzers. Breathalyzer venders will receive a commission, based on the number of Breathalyzers they can sell in a night.

“This program gives an opportunity to get young people involved, and to make some good money, all while in college,” Laboon said.

Laboon is currently working with various companies, including the Erie Insurance Agency, to sell and promote the Breathalyzers.

Local radio station WBZZ 93.7, also known as B94, has helped the Save a Buddy Campaign by giving out sample Breathalyzers to listeners. Families have also gotten involved with the program, some giving $1,000 donations to support the group.

Though Laboon still works in Web design, he said the Save a Buddy Campaign has also become a full-time job. He said he spent countless hours working on the project during the past month and a half, even forwarding calls for the campaign to his personal cell phone after 5 p.m.

Individuals and companies can purchase the Breathalyzer key chains or tester refills on Laboon’s Web site at www.saveabuddy.com.

When selling the Breathalyzers on the Web, the organization charges the lowest prices, offering a key chain with three testers for $9.99, according to the site. The retail price is $13.99.