Transdermal Alcohol Measurement: A Review of the Literature

The body of scientific literature on transdermal alcohol testing dates back almost 70 years. The first viable method enabling this knowledge appeared in the 1980s in the form of an alcohol “sweat-patch”. Recently, transdermal alcohol monitoring bracelets have been used to measure transdermal vapor alcohol. Based on published research in this field, one can conclude that measuring alcohol transdermally on a constant basis provides an effective screen for alcohol consumption and a reasonable approximation of the magnitude of that consumption.