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Who invented the breathalyzer?

Turn back time by one minute and try to imagine the situation in the 1950s. Before the emergence of cars, getting drunk was not a big deal. Apart from being able to embarrass yourself in public, getting drunk was not considered a crime. However, once cars become increasingly common, the need to detect whether someone is drinking becomes even more important.

As early as the 1920s, people began developing "breathalyzer" devices. A doctor named Emil Bogen researched how to determine whether a person is drunk. This study was conducted in 1927, using urine, blood, and even someone's breath to determine their blood alcohol content (BAC). This was new at the time because blood testing was the only other mechanism used for such testing.

The first serious scientific work on the mechanization of determining whether someone is drunk driving occurred in the 1920s. In 1927, a doctor and researcher named Emil Bogen in Los Angeles conducted a landmark study on how to scientifically determine drunkenness. At this point, it is quite certain that a blood test gives you a reliable concept of how drunk a person may be. But through testing urine, blood, and respiration, Bogen found that the latter can indeed serve as a reliable estimate of blood alcohol content (BAC).

The first breath test developed by Dr. Emil Bogen used, among other things, a large football shaped balloon containing two important chemicals, sulfuric acid and potassium dichromate. The person being tested will exhale into the balloon, and if the color of the balloon changes from yellow to blue/green, it means that they have already consumed a certain amount of alcohol.

To provide a specific answer to this question, the first breathalyzer was invented by Robert F. Bokenstein in 1954. He is actually a police photographer (since 1936) and has developed a strong interest in drunk driving crimes. He has been working as a police photographer at the Indiana Police Laboratory.

The invention of Robert F. Bokenstein led to significant advancements in breathalyzer technology. He is able to develop a solution that no longer requires large balloons and airbags, nor does it require mixing different chemicals. Basically, his invention became part of the police arsenal.

Is there anyone else trying to invent a breathing test device?

In summary, yes. A person named W. from Chicago, USA Mr. D. McNally also conducted extensive testing and development work on the breathalyzer we know today. At that time, they were called respiratory analyzers. W. D. McNally is a chemist, and although he uses the same method as Dr. Emil Bogen's (blowing air into a balloon), his device does have some minor differences.