SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring^®

SCRAM CAM or SCRAM is an alcohol monitoring bracelet that uses 24/7 transdermal analysis to detect alcohol consumption.

How it works:

• Takes readings automatically every 30 minutes
• Can register very low levels of alcohol consumption (1-2 units)
• Provides highly accurate insight into a participant’s drinking activity over a defined period
• Can distinguish between drinking and environmental exposure to alcohol
• Data stored automatically, ensuring no gaps in monitoring

About 1% of everything we consume is unconsciously expelled through our skin in the form of perspiration.

The SCRAM bracelet uses transdermal analysis to sample and test the perspiration that is always on the skin (known as insensible perspiration).

Firstly, a pump inside the bracelet takes in the sample. Then a fuel cell, just like the kind used in breath test devices, reacts with ethanol to measure for the presence of alcohol. The bracelet takes a sample of insensible perspiration once every 30 minutes to measure alcohol consumption.

SCRAM is used to support treatment and to enhance supervision for:

• Domestic violence cases, where alcohol is a contributing factor
• Drug users, who often turn to alcohol once they are actively being tested for drugs
• Individuals with alcohol-dependency issues
• Family Court, to assess the level of a parent’s alcohol problem, or gather evidence to support acceptable drinking behaviours
• Custody conditions or child visitation arrangements

Yes, the SCRAM bracelet is most often used in family court proceedings to assess the level of a parent or caregiver’s alcohol problem or as evidence for the court regarding acceptable drinking behaviours.

The SCRAM bracelet offers a form of continuous alcohol monitoring, typically taking a reading for alcohol consumption every 30 minutes.

This means that the bracelet does not detect ‘historic’ alcohol consumption but instead focuses on real-time alcohol use.

The SCRAM bracelet will detect alcohol for as long as it remains in the person’s system/sweat and will register any alcohol present within the detection range.

The SCRAM CAM ankle monitor is extremely accurate and reliable, using advanced transdermal technology to detect traces of ethanol (the intoxicating agent in alcoholic drinks) in sweat.

The device acts as a highly effective deterrent for participants struggling with alcohol misuse, encouraging participant compliance and accountability.

Around 99.4% of all SCRAM CAM wearers remain completely sober and compliant while wearing the device.

The standard for confirming an alcohol consumption event using a breathalyser is a minimum 0.02 blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

With SCRAM, alcohol consumption is measured according to transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC), with a minimum TAC of 0.020 registering as a positive result.

Our professional Sample Collectors can fit the SCRAM bracelet within 24-48 hours of instruction, subject to your client’s availability.

Please be aware that SCRAM fittings can only be performed at the client’s home address. This is because the device requires a wireless base station to be installed at the client’s home.

The bracelet will automatically upload data every time the client is near the base station.

No, the SCRAM bracelet cannot be fitted at our walk-in centres.

Fitting must take place at the client’s home address, as a wireless base station also needs to be installed there. Once in place, the bracelet automatically uploads data whenever your client is near the base station.

Yes, SCRAM can be used alongside other forms of alcohol testing, offering a comprehensive view on a person’s drinking habits, and is increasingly used as a transitioning measure where alcohol testing has been undertaken but ongoing drinking behaviour needs to be monitored.

The transdermal form of testing offered by SCRAM is proven to make people less likely to drink alcohol when the bracelet is worn.

On any given day, 99.4% of all participants are completely sober and compliant whilst being monitored by SCRAM, helping to enforce sobriety programmes and making it easier to abstain from alcohol.

The SCRAM device cannot be submerged in water (e.g. swimming pools, baths, hot tubs). However, it is important to thoroughly clean the area around the bracelet regularly with mild soap and water.

There is no evidence that wearing the SCRAM bracelet poses any physical risk during pregnancy, as the device works by sampling insensible perspiration through the skin and does not involve any invasive procedure or chemical exposure.

However, if a client is pregnant or becomes pregnant during the monitoring period, this should be discussed with the instructing party and raised with AlphaBiolabs at the earliest opportunity. Individual circumstances, including any medical advice the client has received, will be relevant.

To discuss a specific case involving a pregnant client, contact our expert team on 0333 600 1300, email testing@alphabiolabs.com, or complete our online quote form.

The SCRAM bracelet is equipped with multiple tamper-detection sensors, including strap sensors, battery sensors, an infrared sensor and temperature monitors, which work together to continuously verify that the bracelet is fitted correctly and in contact with the wearer’s skin.

If someone attempts to remove the bracelet or interfere with it, the device will immediately register a tamper event. This is recorded in the data uploaded from the bracelet and will be included in the monitoring report provided to the instructing party.

A SCRAM report should give the court a clear, evidence-based account of the Sample Donor’s alcohol consumption over the monitoring period. A well-structured report will include:

• The monitoring period covered, including the number of days the sample donor has been monitored
• A summary of any drinking events and/or tampering events registered by the device
• A graph of all readings across the reporting period, with a plain-language explanation of what each data point and line represents
• Identification details, including a photograph of the sample donor and the form of ID provided at fitting
• A copy of the SCRAM Participant Agreement, confirming the donor’s responsibilities during the monitoring period

AlphaBiolabs’ SCRAM monitoring reports meet these requirements clearly and concisely, giving solicitors, social workers and courts the detail they need without unnecessary complexity.

SCRAM is legal aid funded, which means that funding shouldn’t be an issue when court orders are obtained.

AlphaBiolabs has simplified its pricing into an easy one-tiered structure so there are no hidden costs or extras to pay once you have obtained a quote from us.

Our contract is always with our ‘Instructing Party’ (IP): this is the person who completes and signs our referral form and is liable for the invoice.

Our expert team can provide a quote for SCRAM over the phone (0333 600 1300) or by email (testing@alphabiolabs.com).

Alternatively, complete our online quote form, and a member of our team will contact you to discuss your requirements.

Yes. SCRAM is invoiced monthly or via split-invoicing, depending on your requirements.

SCRAM is primarily used in family court proceedings, where it may be ordered as a condition of custody arrangements, contact orders or supervision requirements where alcohol misuse is a concern.

While alcohol monitoring tags have been used in a criminal justice context in England and Wales under the Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement (AAMR) and, more recently, as a condition of release on licence, this is administered through the probation service and uses a separate commissioning route.

AlphaBiolabs’ SCRAM service is commissioned directly by legal professionals, social workers and local authorities for family court use.

If you are a legal professional with a query about the suitability of SCRAM monitoring for a specific case, contact our team on 0333 600 1300, email testing@alphabiolabs.com or complete our online quote form.