EtG: The Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB115534928148134109-lMyQjAxMDE2NTE1MjMxNDI5Wj.html

"Some in sobriety enforcement contend any alcohol, however ingested, could trigger a relapse in recovering addicts."-Kevin Knipe

This rhetoric supports the testing, while stating that fueling a vehicle, eating pickles and sanitizing a childs dwelling are good reasons to take a childs mother away. This is by no means constructive, trust me I've been there, although my offense was showering or wearing socks. There is absolutely no research (that I've come across in over a year of study) that supports a theory that cleaning a bathroom or fueling a car is a trigger for relapse. A positive, false or not, usually means added treatment, in my opinion this jack-ass is more interested in revenue rather than constructively helping one with a disorder.

They have not even touched base with the possibility's. When asked how Tylenol causes a false-positive, I found that it as well as many OTC drugs (Motrin) are methylated. Ethynyl estradiol used in oral contraceptives, estradiol stimulates the enzyme primarily responsible for creating EtG, (possibly why the research that made this "the Gold Standard" was over 40 men and three women), making most women hyperproducers, add ethynyl and BAM. This is the alternative to SCRAM in continuous monitoring, a couple of state's HPRPs have already suspended use, one group and 80% of the clients were positive, would 8 out of ten people jeopordize their livelihood? It is far less reliable than SCRAM, and one case with a read of 121,000 and the Dr. had doubt, as opposed to the 100, 250, 500, 1000 and 1500 the article discusses.

SCRAM: Relapse Prevention Myth

1) A clients story through the eyes of his lawyer.
http://www.kjlaws.com/blog/blogentry.2006-06-28.6836626870
2) This lawyer is researching!
http://www.kjlaws.com/blog/blogentry.2006-07-28.5804110687
His premise is that the device may detrimentally impact a clients ability to stay sober for it is quite audible causing "continuous" embarrasment and sleep deprevation. The pain and discomfort of 8 ounces pulling on your skin with every step was compared as "a shade better than a medieval torture device". He cited concerns that "the torment of having this unproven appliance reporting your daily intake of food or other products that the manufacturer admits may provide false positives would push even the emotionally firm to the brink of a stiff drink". After an erroneous read, proving innocents is nearly impossible with the methods of use AMS suggests, so one may think might as well, going to jail anyway! Jeffrey Hawthorne, admitted under oath, that SVRAM was not designed for use as a quantitative analytical device. Also, he admitted that there are too many factors that cannot be controlled. He reported that it is only a screening device. So Jeff, why propel the device claiming AMS can distinguish between consumption and exposure?This lawyer also noted nobody knows when and if the bracelets are calibrated, I read elsewhere another expert saying the device should be calibrated every 24 hours. Again this brings concerns about the cleaning of the device, transcommunicable infections are not myths, and with water and dead skin in the bracelet, staph infections do pose a threat and I have some pretty credible witnesses to that. My favorite quote," ,"Either AMS gets these questions answered and wrinkles smoothed or defense attorneys are going to have this purported science dropped on its proverbial head. Until then, unfortunately, judges continue to use SCRAM and alleged offenders continue to go to jail for alleged positive TAC readings."

I CAN GO YEARS, BUT THANKS TO THE SIX MONTHS OF SCRAM?
Some DWI offenders don't learn their lesson until it's too late. But what if there was a way to keep them from having even one drink? Now there is. A device that tells authorities if you have been drinking at any time can be locked onto an ankle serving as a constant reminder. And while some complain it's like big brother, many believe it will prevent convicted drunk drivers from committing their crimes again. Ronald Markek is an admitted alcoholic. “You see, I can go 3 or 4 years without drinking and all of a sudden there's some urge in me that I gotta go out and get loaded and every time I do, I get caught and I wind up in court." http://www.sandiegoduihelp.com/blogarchives/2006_05_01_index.html

SCRAM: 50/8000

In my eight month's of SCRAM, I had been in for many regularly scheduled maintenance appointments. During one of these visits, a woman, not a large or masculine woman, broke the strap while putting it on my leg. At the time it was of no concern to me, until a concerned mother contacted me of an occurance which had her daughter incarcerated. Her story follows.

Apparently the strap broke while she was at work, and she had witnesses. She called the monitoring office and got an answering machine, her therapist, and arrived at the office attempting to explain the situation. The montoring office called AMS, the represenative advised that she had not come across any case where the band had just come off the ankle without force or being cut. The defendant was not afforded a hearing and after the charged with criminal damage, (a felony), charged for the whole system-$1400, and sent to jail. Fortunately, they kept the bracelet for further investigation and Royce McDonald (technician) advised that there was no identifiable offender damage to the front strap of the bracelet, McDonald further related that AMS has seen this kind of damage on less than 50 bracelets out of more than 8000 built. The charges have been refused, yet the defendant had to finish her inpatient program. This is another example of the fallibility's, the misuse of over-zealous probation departments and/or electronic monitoring companies, the effects of continuous monitoring and is neither justice nor constructive in rehabilitation.

Contradiction:
SCRAM wearers are told not to spray perfumes, hairspray or wear alcohol-based lotions, to avoid testing errors. Monitoring specialists at AMS, however, are able to determine whether or not an alcohol reading was triggered by alcohol consumption. Alcohol that has been consumed stays in the body longer and can be detected by the sensors longer, according to Kathleen Brown, AMS spokeswoman.