4 Things to Consider When Setting Up Remote Alcohol Monitoring

Although the BACtrack View remote alcohol monitoring system is incredibly easy to set up and use, there are a few items you need to consider before you begin alcohol monitoring, whether to assure personal accountability of a loved one or in a custody situation.

1. Who Pays for Alcohol Monitoring?

With BACtrack View, either the Tester or the Monitor can pay for the account – but not both.

If you’re using BACtrack View to help someone abstain from alcohol, the issue of who pays for the monitoring probably won’t contentious.

However, this question may very well come up in a child custody situation. Unless both parties are on good terms, the decision as to who bears the cost may be better negotiated by your attorneys. It’s all too likely that emotions will become involved in the discussion, and both parties’ attorneys are well-equipped to represent their clients’ interests while remaining calm and civil.

While cost can be a contentious issue, you should know that BACtrack View is one of the most affordable alcohol monitoring systems on the market. There are no setup fees, initial equipment costs, or contracts. Plus, you can try BACtrack View free for 14 days.

2. When (and How Frequently) Should Alcohol Testing Occur?

The answer to this question is somewhat dependent on your individual situation, although most alcohol addiction counselors agree that 3-4 breathalyzer tests per day are usually sufficient. You may, of course, choose to test less often. For example, in a shared custody situation, both parties may agree that testing is not appropriate when the child is not present.

With BACtrack View, you can schedule three types of tests:

1. Scheduled
2. Random
3. On-Demand

You can customize your BACtrack View monitoring program to include any combination of these test types (i.e. 2 scheduled tests + 2 random tests).

Scheduled Testing

This may be the ideal option if you want testing to occur only at a very specific time – when a child is picked up, during a lunch break, etc.

Let’s say you want to test every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday at 9:00 am. Here is what that schedule will look like (below):

Random Testing

Randomized testing can be ideal to ensure a co-parent remains sober throughout a time frame – i.e. during visitation, at work – without them anticipating the exact hour/minute tests will occur.

For each random test, you can customize:

• Which days of the week the random tests will occur 
• The time frame during which the random tests will occur
• The number of random tests the Tester will take during that time frame

Let’s say you want to randomly test a co-parent every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. You want them to receive 3 randomly-timed tests between 8:00 am – 1:00 pm. Here is what that schedule will look like (below):

Remember: The testing schedule doesn’t have to be rigid. BACtrack View lets you vary the amount and times of testing according to the situation. You may decide to test more frequently if the Tester is on a weekend trip, for example.

You can also request an on-demand alcohol test – sent only once – at any given time.

3. What Should Happen if a Test is Positive or Missed?

If your loved one is struggling with alcohol problems, they’ve taken a step forward by agreeing to undergo remote alcohol monitoring.

Still, alcohol abuse is a challenging problem and setbacks may occur. You need to have a plan in place in the event of a positive test, and for when a test is missed. This plan should include mutually-agreed upon measures and would be created with the advice of a certified counselor, therapist, or addiction medicine physician. Ideally, your plan should answer the following questions:

• Should the Tester take an on-demand test immediately after receiving a positive result?
• What are the consequences for receiving a positive alcohol test?
• How should the Tester proceed afterwards?

The picture changes somewhat if alcohol testing is occurring in the setting of a family law dispute. In this case, it’s best to have the consequences of positive tests written out and approved by the court. Your attorney can help you with this, and possible results could include loss of visitation rights or termination of joint custody.

4. Who Receives the Test Results?

Tests results should only be shared with those who have a legitimate need to know. These may include:

• The Tester
• The Monitor
• Attorneys
• The Court
• Any medical or psychological professionals
• Family members or other Accountability Partners that have previously been agreed upon

In a legal situation, disclosure of the test results to other third parties may be a violation of privacy. On the other hand, if you’re trying to help a loved one in recovery, sharing the results with others can destroy trust and lead to setbacks.