Met Police consider 'sobriety bracelets'

US-style 'sobriety bracelets', which use quantitative analysis processes to test blood alcohol levels, are being considered for use in the UK.

Scotland Yard's commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe, who is currently monitoring a UK trial into the devices, has claimed that the new technology could be a key tool in the effort to reduce alcohol-related crime in London.

The electronic tags, similar to the one worn by actress Lindsey Lohan in the US, will alert the offender and the police if individuals breach their drinking bans while serving community service.

"It is important for us to use technology and use these preventative measures around the two areas of alcohol and drug-related crime," he told delegates at the London Policy Conference.

He added that the 'sobriety bracelets' had had huge success in the US, preventing the vast majority from breaking bans.

The devices are reportedly able to detect blood alcohol levels as low as 0.02 per cent and can tell when alcohol was imbibed.

Posted by Ben Evans