NEW DRIVER DRUG CHECK

[Guest Urbanhog]

NEW DRIVER DRUG CHECK

 

A ROADSIDE test that quickly identifies drivers under the influence of illegal drugs is about to be put on trial in Victorian booze buses.

 

The hand-held unit uses a sample of the driver's saliva to detect marijuana, amphetamines and cocaine.

 

Melbourne-based distributor Bio-Mediq DPC has also had talks with WA police with a view to a trial in this State.

 

The unit is designed to replace cumbersome blood sample-based tests that can take days to give a result.

 

However, it is not yet as efficient as roadside alcohol tests - it takes 10 minutes to give a reading.

 

Victorian police have an unconfirmed number of units.

 

Bio-Mediq DPC managing director Kevin Walsh said police were waiting for legislation to pass through State Parliament so they could use them in their 13 booze buses alongside alcohol breath tests.  "This is the first of its kind in the world that is available and working," he said.

 

Mr Walsh said he had high-level contact with WA police, who had been given a unit for testing.

 

But police in other States, including WA, were waiting for results from the Victorian trial.

 

Police using the system take a swab of the driver's saliva and put it in the hand-held unit, getting the result after 10 minutes.

 

If the unit detects illegal drugs, police can send the saliva sample to a lab for official analysis that can be used in court.

 

The unit, designed in Britain, detects five classes of drugs - cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepines and opiates such as heroin and morphine.

 

However, the opiate detector could be triggered by heavy use of legal pharmaceuticals such as codeine, so it is not practical for roadside use.

 

Another problem is occupational health and safety regulations.

 

Victorian police are concerned that they will be exposed to disease by taking saliva from motorists.

 

A study by Voctorian road safety organisation VicRoads suggested one in 900 Victorian drivers are under the influence of drugs - one-third the number under the influence of alcohol.

 

More than 70 drug-affected drivers were killed last year on Victorian roads.

 

Most had been using cannabis.  

 

Pubdate: Wed, 18 Sep 2002

Source: West Australian (Australia)

Copyright: 2002 West Australian Newspapers Limited

Contact: letters@wanews.com.au

Website: http://www.thewest.com.au

[BlackBeauty]

It was only a matter of time...looks like I've got a NY's resolution already...

 

Does anyone know when they will start trialling it? They say they're waiting for some legislation to be passed - wouldn't mind knowing more about that too....

 

I wonder what the window-period is if a person has smoked it?

 

How about if it's been ingested?

[Tom]

I wonder what the window-period is if a person has smoked it?

 

Some companies use similar tests here in Tas, The window period for those is 24 hours.

 

How about if it's been ingested?

 

Don't know but if it can pick up drugs like "amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepines and opiates such as heroin and morphine" that aren't smoked then there's a possibility it could pick up ingested THC too.

 

[BlackBeauty]

thanks Tom

 

this is a situation where it would be great if the Australian government would differentiate between 'hard' and 'soft' drugs like that do in Amsterdam....

[boe~pimp]

well well, another reason i'm happy i don't live in victoria... yet i have no doubt it will be implemented nationally soon enough.

no matter what we can't go comparing everything to Amsterdam, as great of a place as it is, and how superior it is to our country in alot of ways, were still not Amsterdam, the laws are there and untill they are changed, we all run the risk.

if you get busted doing these things, not only driving smashed but growing etc, you can't turn around and justify it by saying "they do it in Amsterdam" it won't get you anywhere.

[Guest Urbanhog]

Seems the kiwis think there is little point with these tests:

 

Waikato Times - Hamltion, NZ

Edition 2WED 04 DEC 2002, Page 005

 

Little point to drug test for drivers: safety campaigner

 

A veteran Northland road safety campaigner believes there is little point in the Government researching a test to measure motorists' cannabis levels.

 

"Police right throughout the world have been trying to work out a test for marijuana," Northland Regional Council Land Transport Committee chairman and former RoadSafe Northland co-ordinator Bill Rossiter said.

 

Mr Rossiter said it was difficult to prove whether cannabis affected a person's driving. It could stay in the bloodstream for several days and frequent users were less affected than occasional users of the drug.

 

Source: Waikato Times - Hamltion, NZ

[toker69]

NEW DRIVER DRUG CHECK

 

A ROADSIDE test that quickly identifies drivers under the influence of illegal drugs is about to be put on trial in Victorian booze buses.

 

The hand-held unit uses a sample of the driver's saliva to detect marijuana, amphetamines and cocaine.

 

Melbourne-based distributor Bio-Mediq DPC has also had talks with WA police with a view to a trial in this State.

 

The unit is designed to replace cumbersome blood sample-based tests that can take days to give a result.

 

However, it is not yet as efficient as roadside alcohol tests - it takes 10 minutes to give a reading.

 

Victorian police have an unconfirmed number of units.

 

Bio-Mediq DPC managing director Kevin Walsh said police were waiting for legislation to pass through State Parliament so they could use them in their 13 booze buses alongside alcohol breath tests.  "This is the first of its kind in the world that is available and working," he said.

 

Mr Walsh said he had high-level contact with WA police, who had been given a unit for testing.

 

But police in other States, including WA, were waiting for results from the Victorian trial.

 

Police using the system take a swab of the driver's saliva and put it in the hand-held unit, getting the result after 10 minutes.

 

If the unit detects illegal drugs, police can send the saliva sample to a lab for official analysis that can be used in court.

 

The unit, designed in Britain, detects five classes of drugs - cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepines and opiates such as heroin and morphine.

 

However, the opiate detector could be triggered by heavy use of legal pharmaceuticals such as codeine, so it is not practical for roadside use.

 

Another problem is occupational health and safety regulations.

 

Victorian police are concerned that they will be exposed to disease by taking saliva from motorists.

 

A study by Voctorian road safety organisation VicRoads suggested one in 900 Victorian drivers are under the influence of drugs - one-third the number under the influence of alcohol.

 

More than 70 drug-affected drivers were killed last year on Victorian roads.

 

Most had been using cannabis.  

 

Pubdate: Wed, 18 Sep 2002

Source: West Australian (Australia)

Copyright: 2002 West Australian Newspapers Limited

Contact: letters@wanews.com.au

Website: http://www.thewest.com.au

I read about this being trialled on the internet from overseas.

 

Terrible news. Given that it will undoubtedly go nationwide very shortly, and will test for any minimal trace of cannabis as opposed to impairment, this is really a defacto war against cannabis users. Why? that hard s&*t is out of your system relatively quickly meaning there is a small window time of detection for them.

 

Most cannabis users are not totally baked when driving anyway. So you had that last toke yesterday, and are pulled up by the cops and fronting the court shortly thereafter for hopefully only a drug court appearance (as opposed to something resulting in a conviction). They should be focusing on some kind of sobriety practical tests if pot is found in your system to really detect whether you are 'impaired' or not.

 

I'm sure you guys have read about that university of Adelaide (?) report that found no ill effects of cannabis alone on driving ability etc. In fact they suggested that stoned drivers were safer, because people took precautions for their perceived level of intoxication. When they look at deaths in traffic accidents with people under the influence, it is usually alcohol in combination with other drugs that comes out. Interesting hey?

 

Oh well, we are just following the trends of the Americans anyway. I guess we'll soon be seeing piss tests in most workplaces, withdrawal of aid from the government for uni for drug convictions, and more drug sniffing dogs in schools and in the streets etc!! :angry:

 

Cheers

 

Toker69

[pipeman]

this is really fucking depressing. To not be able to drive the day after a smoke is beyond ridiculous.

[420stoner]

yeah, its fucking gay!