During this recession, people are finding ways to cut back on leisure expenses so that there’s more left over for the essentials. Payday loans are a helpful resource when emergencies occur, but changing our habits is the best way to be help stave off future economic difficulties.

The pervasive image of people drinking to drown their sorrows – health and social decorum issues aside – has been bandied about as people lose their savings and homes. One might think that shrinking salaries would lead to less liquor consumption, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case.

We drink; let’s be safe

For those of us who consume alcoholic beverages, it is vitally important that no matter how much the recession gets us down, we must be responsible and safe. The Web site Product Reviews News shows us that there’s an easy way to see whether we’ve had too much to drive: the Ashley Collection 2419-7 Protocol Keyring Breathalyzer.

Why should we have to stop spending time together with friends and enjoying beer or something harder? Time to vent is vitally important to mental health. With this ingenious little product, we’ll have the hard information needed to make a responsible decision in the eyes of the law.

How does it work?

The small device measures the amount of alcohol on your breath. An oxidized semiconductor measures your blood alcohol content (BAC) in a matter of seconds. Simply blow into the sensor for three seconds. The device will crunch the numbers and report whether your BAC is low (less than .05 percent), borderline (.05 to .08 percent), or legally intoxicated (greater than .08 percent). Please be mindful of the legal limit where you live, as this can vary.

Most important to us recession victims, the keyring breathalyzer is inexpensive at $9.99. If you don’t have an iPhone with iBreath, it’s THE cheap option.

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Is that what I think it is?

Yes, iBreath is, in fact, a breathalyzer that you can hook up to your iPod. It requires no batteries and can plug in to your car. Once it’s hooked to the iPod or the vehicle, blow into the little tube for at least five seconds. Two seconds later, voila, it digitally shows your blood alcohol level.

This device will no doubt help drivers avoid having to take out a payday loan to cover expensive fines. More importantly though, advocates hope it will save lives.

Drunks in decline

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 13,000 people in died in the United States last year because of alcohol-related traffic accidents. This statistic is the lowest the NHTSA has on record. While the decline in deaths is good news, that means in previous years more than 13,000 people per year have died because of drunk drivers.

Groups such as DARE and MADD can take credit for spreading awareness of the dangers of drunk driving. Because of this rise in awareness, many people are taking responsibility and planning ahead. The best options on a night at the bars are to arrange for a ride home in advance, bring money for a cab or assign a designated driver. But we all know that sometimes things don’t go as planned. That’s where the iBreath comes in. This $79 device lets you know if “I’ve only had two beers” is really a good excuse to get behind the wheel.

Two sides to every story

The people who inveted iBreath did it to keep people safe. But as with all subjects that involve alcohol, there is controversy out there. Some dissenters think the iBreath will cause people to play drinking games. It may be true that some iBreath owners will use the device for fun. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if this device does result in the invention of new drinking games, they just may be the safest drinking games ever.

The other argument is that it may give some people a false sense of security. Every individual reacts differently to alcohol. Some people may still not be OK to drive even if their blood alcohol level is lower than .08. This argument I agree with. Drinking and driving is never, ever a good idea. But I think this device will do more good than harm.

Another warning out there is that police officers calibrate their equipment regularly. An article at BreathalyzersUSA details how often personal breathalyzers should be recalibrated.

No more one-trick ponies

Most technological devices that come out nowadays serve multiple functions. The latest version of the Nintendo Wii, for instance, doesn’t just play Wii games as well as GameCube games. It stores photos and has a photo editing function.

The iBreath is no exception to this modern multitasking rule. It doubles as an FM trasmitter so you can play your iPod tunes over the radio.

So add this to your bag of tricks for avoiding DUIs and injuries. A payday loan can help in financial emergencies, but it can’t keep you safe on the road.

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