Law-enforcement officials say there’s no silver bullet. But there are legislative and technological ways to combat habitual drunk drivers. One of the most promising involves the use of an electronic device about the size of a cellphone that’s already in limited use here, but is deployed far more widely in York County — where officials say it’s reduced the number of alcohol-related crashes by up to 20 percent.
It’s called a SCRAM bracelet, short for “Secure Continuous Alcohol Monitoring.” The tamper-proof unit is strapped to an offender’s ankle and analyzes the wearer’s perspiration to determine whether the person has been drinking. Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan had to wear one in 2010 after she violated probation on a drunken-driving charge.
