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But this research is rapidly evolving. Check out the                                       TECHNOLOGY
              game-changing marijuana breath analyzer, developed by   Location Tracking
              Hound Labs, an Oakland, Calif.-based company headed up    “There’s an app for that…” usually refers to a relatively
              by Mike Lynn, MD, a practicing emergency room trauma   non-essential smartphone function, like entertainment,
              physician and a deputy reserve sheriff. Called the Breathalyzer,   fitness tracking, or record-keeping. A new location-finding
              the disposable cartridge is a handheld device the size of a   app designed to help find people who are lost in the outdoors
              mobile phone, and can accurately measure microscopic mar-  is helping change that perception.
              ijuana particles in a person’s breath. This testing device differs   Homewood Mountain Resort in California is the first
              from saliva swabs, or blood or urine tests—those measure the   ski area to adopt AirFlare, a new wilderness safety app and
              presence of THC (the principal, psycho-active constituent in   related search technology system that’s been catching on
              marijuana that creates the “high”) in body fluids. This element   with outdoor enthusiasts and search and rescue teams in
              can stay in fluids and body fat for weeks or even months.  California—and is now launching nationally.
                 The innovation of the Breathalyzer is that it measures the   It works like this: Users download the AirFlare app from
              presence of THC within 2 to 3 hours of actual consumption,   the Apple App Store or Google Play, then subscribe to an
              the time, most experts believe, when pot is most impairing    opt-in service that creates a unique search ID and effectively
              (called “peak impairment”). By comparison, saliva swabs   enables their phone as a searchable rescue beacon. If a guest
              can only measure THC presence in the body some 36 to 48   goes missing, ski patrol or search and rescue teams can use
              hours after consumption, and they do not effectively indicate   the AirFlare detector device and a corresponding app called
              actual impairment. Notably, the Hound Labs’ Breathalyzer   Field Console to quickly check to see if the person is regis-
              can accurately measure THC in pot, whether it is smoked or   tered with the service, or to configure the device to search for
              ingested as edibles.                                   an unregistered phone. The detector device pings the phone
                 The person being tested blows into the handheld device   and activates a Location Return feature that automatically
              for 30 seconds to 1 minute while outside, not in a build-  pulls GPS coordinates from the lost subject’s phone. The
              ing or automobile (being inside a confined space can lead to   detector device can locate a registered phone’s coordinates
              unreliable readings). The disposable cartridge is then placed   even if it is not within cell service—as long as it has power.
              into a laptop-sized terminal for measuring. (The cartridge   James Sindt, Homewood’s ski patrol director and risk
              can be saved for re-testing, or confirmation testing, in a mass   manager, says his team helped out with extensive testing of
              spectrometer, which can be done at a local lab like one of the   the AirFlare app and detector device during the 2017–18
              many Quest laboratories found in most states.) According to   season and has now added AirFlare to its quiver of tools
              Dr. Lynn, the Breathalyzer can measure “ridiculously low    when searching for lost guests.
              levels [of THC] in someone’s breath, down to a couple parts   “My biggest concern when a guest goes missing and isn’t
              per trillion.” It also doubles as an alcohol breathalyzer.  responding to phone calls is that they’re somehow incapacitated
                 He is working to finalize the testing and com mercial sale of   in a tree well,” Sindt said. “If we can get GPS coordinates for
              the devices. The package system (cartridge and the base station)   where a specific cellphone is once a missing person report comes
              likely will not be available for commercial or law enforcement   in, at the outset of a search, that can be a game-changer for us.”
              use until mid-2019. The price point for the cartridges (around   While AirFlare hasn’t been used in a live search scenario
              $20 each) and the base station will be a couple thousand dollars.   yet—and is “not a replacement for an avalanche beacon,”
              One limitation is that it does not measure the amount of THC   Sindt emphasizes—the app and its detector device passed
              consumed, which can be captured by blood or urine tests.   with flying colors during the research and development phase
                 However, for employers, one promising aspect of this new   at Homewood. The resort did a lot of testing similar to
              technology is that it is the closest thing to capturing a more
              reliable measurement of impairment, rather than pot use from   Have a new—or even old—technological innovation?
              a week or month ago. This will allow employers who conduct   Whether it’s a cutting-edge device, novel application, or use
              drug testing to not have to unfairly lose good employees over   of existing technology, if it simplifies operations, lowers costs,
              unreliable saliva or urine tests that do not gauge something   or promotes safety, we want to hear about it. Send your idea or
              approximating impairment. Given the challenges ski areas    story to editor@nsaa.org so we can highlight it in a future issue
                                                                        of the Journal.
              facing finding—and keeping—good, qualified employees,      This section is not intended for general product reviews or
              such testing devices could go a long way to promote more fair-  advertorials; the objective is to provide information on new
              ness in workplace drug testing. Learn more at houndlabs.com.   or particularly noteworthy technology and ski area innovation.
              —Dave Byrd



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