Transdermal Alcohol Testing
Transdermal alcohol testing measures alcohol through the skin, giving courts, agencies, and treatment programs a continuous way to monitor alcohol use and support compliance decisions.
Transdermal alcohol testing measures alcohol through the skin, giving courts, agencies, and treatment programs a continuous way to monitor alcohol use and support compliance decisions.
HOW IT WORKS
Transdermal means “through the skin.” As the body processes alcohol, a small amount is released through the skin as vapor. Transdermal monitoring uses that natural process to detect alcohol activity over time.
SCRAM Systems applies transdermal testing across monitoring technologies. Alcohol monitoring devices can sample ethanol vapor at the skin’s surface, while transdermal drug testing patches collect evidence through sweat during an extended wear period.
The value is the same: longer visibility than a single point in time test, helping programs monitor compliance between scheduled testing windows.
FROM BODY TO DATA
Transdermal testing measures or collects evidence of substance related activity released through the skin. In alcohol monitoring, ethanol vapor can be measured as Transdermal Alcohol Concentration, or TAC, which correlates to Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC.
Because transdermal testing collects or samples activity over an extended period, programs can see patterns that a single breath, blood, or urine test may miss.
After alcohol or substances are consumed, they move through the body and begin to metabolize.
A small amount may be released through the skin in sweat or vapor.
Transdermal devices or patches sample that activity over time to support compliance monitoring.
CONTINUOUS MONITORING
Breath and urine testing capture a single point in time. Transdermal testing is designed to collect or sample activity over time, helping programs identify alcohol or substance use that may happen between scheduled tests.
For alcohol monitoring, continuous sampling can help show when drinking started, when alcohol levels peaked, and when they returned to baseline. Those patterns give supervision teams a clearer view of alcohol activity than a single test result alone.
SUPERVISION VALUE
Transdermal testing gives supervision programs objective data to review compliance, identify potential violations, and support accountability. With longer term monitoring, agencies can better understand behavior, document events, and respond with greater confidence.
Identify possible alcohol or substance use between scheduled testing.
Add longer term visibility to breath, blood, urine, or other testing methods.
Use objective records to help inform supervision responses.
Consistent monitoring can help reinforce behavior change and compliance.
CONNECTED MONITORING
SCRAM CAM® connects into the broader SCRAM ecosystem, helping programs pair continuous alcohol monitoring with drug testing, location monitoring, remote breath testing, software, services, and support as supervision needs evolve.
GPS, alcohol, and remote breath tools for programs that need added visibility, testing, or accountability.
Dashboards, alerts, reports, and workflows that help teams manage activity across their caseload.
Discuss your monitoring goals and find the right solution for your court, agency, or program.