New technology being developed at the Rochester Institute of Technology could stop a gun from firing if the person pulling the trigger is drunk.
Firearms are the leading cause of death by suicide, federal data show, and alcohol is a factor in many suicide attempts.
“It's a way of providing some physical barrier or to delay a person from taking a hasty step towards a very bad decision,” said RIT engineering professor Gill Tsouri, who is developing a prototype.
Tsouri said the prototype will have sensors on the grip that will sense the blood-alcohol level in sweat. If levels are high, some mechanism will block the trigger from being pulled.
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Tsouri a $402,000 grant from its Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program to fund the project. He called on suicide prevention researcher Jill Lavigne to partner on the skin-sensing system.
“If we can come up with this invention where they can keep their gun even as they're trying to manage an alcohol use disorder ... it might increase care seeking as well as increasing safety at the same time,” Lavigne said.
Biosensors have been developed to monitor cardiac conditions and other aspects of a person’s well-being. Tsouri’s work borrows from that technology while seeking to improve the level of sensitivity and responsiveness, which could lead to other applications.
Paul Adell Jr., president of the Rochester African American Firearms Association, said while he understands the good intentions behind this project, he has his reservations.
“I think it is also another measure of control that is being used to restrict firearms use and ownership,” Adell said. “And I can't support that.”
Adell thinks the root of the problem is much deeper than gun ownership and mechanical solutions.
“We need to start prioritizing mental health, destigmatizing mental health treatment, and stop making it a taboo,” he said — specifically in communities of color.
The project developing the prototype is expected to start before the summer and could take roughly two years to complete. Tsouri and Lavigne will consult with a panel of stakeholders throughout the process to review the guns' practicality and design.
