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Identifying Alcohol
When in doubt, focus on the drinker instead of the substance in his cup. The trick is to become well acquainted with the effects of alcohol, and to deliberately test for them. Since getting drunk is both the intent, and danger, of underaged drinking, you should have the methods and confidence to reliably detect intoxication.
Container: Alcohol is a heavily commercialized product. In most cases, it can be identified by its conspicuous container. Unfortunately, recent marketing strategies have produced containers that look like perfume bottles, energy drinks and even juice boxes. In several recent cases, public outcry has resulted in a withdrawal of these packages from the major manufacturer’s product lines. In each circumstance, however, smaller breweries have stepped in to replicate the idea.
Appearance: Once removed from the container, as is often done by underage drinkers, alcohol becomes more difficult to identify. Fortunately, beer looks and smells like beer. It’s so common, that most of us can readily identify it. On the other hand, clear liquor looks, and sometimes smells, no different than water. When mixed with colored beverages, even dark liquors become indistinguishable. It’s no wonder why this is the most preferred form of alcohol for kids.
Odor: Alcohol is colorless and odorless, making the use of smell unreliable. The sweet smell coming out of a beer can, or wafting off of a person’s breath, is actually created by the flavorings added to the alcohol. The more pure the alcohol, the less of a smell there is, which is why many vodka based drinks do not smell heavily. Breath is also easily concealed by mints etc. There are even mints specifically designed to obscure the odor of beer. This is also why many parents and school officials fail to detect alcohol use amongst teens. Laypersons are habitually over-reliant upon odor.
Effects: One of the best ways to identify alcohol is by evaluating the physical characteristics of the people drinking it. Some effects of alcohol are detectible, even at very low levels of intoxication. (See “Detecting Alcohol Use” for more.)
Use Characteristics: Valuable inferences can also be taken from the way in which people are drinking it. In group settings, sharing a water bottle or pouring liquid from a water bottle into multiple cups, can be a dead giveaway -particularly if not done in a sport setting. The presence of water bottles alone, if not in a sports setting, should set off suspicions.
Testing: Alcohol test strips are now very popular on the internet and in local pharmacies. You just dip the test-strip into the fluid, whether its saliva or a water bottle, and watch for it to change color. Currently, these strips sell for approximately $2.25 each.
