Pubdate: Mon, 19 Apr 2004
Source: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune (WI)
Copyright: 2004 2001, The Daily Tribune
Contact:  http://www.wisinfo.com/dailytribune/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1609
Author:  Jessica Bock
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Cannabis and Driving)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)

DRUG-DETECTION DEVICE GETS EARLY TEST

WAUSAU - Wausau-area police officers are using their expertise in observing 
signs of drug use to test the accuracy of a device that could revolutionize 
the way they detect whether a driver is on drugs.

By testing drivers' saliva, the device may be able to confirm for officers 
whether someone has used cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines or other 
drugs before getting behind the wheel.

To use the device, an officer swabs a driver's mouth and inserts the swab 
into a hand-held machine with a display that indicates whether drugs are 
present. The testing began in Wausau in the past several weeks.

Tests on the device are being conducted at sites in five states and six 
other countries. The Wausau area was chosen because several officers here 
have been trained as drug recognition experts.

Wausau Police Officers Ben Bliven and Matt Barnes, who have received such 
training, use a 45-minute, 12-step test on the city's streets to determine 
which drugs a driver has used and how the drugs affect judgment on the 
road. During traffic stops and crash investigations, drug recognition 
experts record details about a person, such as body temperature and pupil 
size, that show that his or her driving has been affected by drugs. As part 
of the study, officers ask drivers they suspect of using drugs if they will 
allow their saliva to be tested with the device.

Officers plan to collect 250 samples during the next several months that 
they will submit to scientists at the State Laboratory of Hygiene.

The outcome of the study will affect whether the device becomes 
commercially available to law enforcement agencies. The purpose of the 
study is to evaluate the accuracy of the device and be sure it meets police 
needs.

The device could eventually be a good tool for schools to determine if 
students have taken drugs before going to class, Bliven said.

The study is partially financed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and 
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It's part of a 
continuing effort by police to crack down on drivers who use drugs, 
including over-the-counter medications, and continue to drive even though 
their ability to observe, react and stay alert on the road could be impaired. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager