Alcohol self-tests now available in pharmacies
The tests, which cost between 5 and 7 euros for a two-pack, use a color-based indicator to estimate alcohol levels. According to a report by public broadcaster ERT, the tests are becoming more popular as public awareness grows.
“It’s very simple. There’s a reagent in the center of the tube. You squeeze the two ends to release it and blow for 10 seconds. You repeat it one more time. Depending on the color the crystals inside change, you can see if you’ve consumed an amount of alcohol that puts you outside the limit,” pharmacist Thodoris Zefkilis told ERT.
The test shows four results: white (0), low (0.2), high (0.5) and very high (0.8 – red). The legal limit is 0.20 mg/l for new drivers and 0.50 mg/l for experienced drivers,
Although the tests became available at the beginning of the year, Zefkilis said demand is only now starting to increase. “We initially put it on our counter for people to see. They were asking us what it was and how it worked. Now it’s starting to move more,” he said.
