Pubdate: Sat, 28 Dec 2013
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2013 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Paresh Dave

DUI CHECKS TO ADD DRUG TESTS

L.A. Officials Expand Use of Oral Swabs to Crack Down on Impaired Drivers.

The upcoming New Year's crackdown on drunk driving will include a new 
test for many people who are pulled over - an oral swab that checks 
for marijuana, cocaine and other drugs.

The voluntary swabbing has been used 50 times this year. But Los 
Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer is pushing to use it at more 
checkpoints and jails as officials try to limit the number of drivers 
who are impaired by substances other than alcohol.

"Traditionally, our office has focused on drunken driving cases," 
Feuer said at a news conference Friday. "We're expanding drug 
collection and aggressively enforcing all impaired-driving laws."

Individuals arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of 
alcohol or drugs must submit to a blood test. But prosecutors said 
the eight-minute, portable oral fluids test could eventually become a 
more effective use of resources in drugged-driving cases.

The test checks for cocaine, benzodiazepine (Xanax), methamphetamine, 
amphetamines, narcotic analgesics, methadone and THC representative 
of marijuana usage within the previous few hours.

City prosecutors have yet to use results from the tests as evidence in a case.

The city attorney's office filed 598 DUI cases in the last year that 
involved drugs, compared with 577 drunk driving cases during last 
year's winter holiday period.

This year, about 1,520 people across Los Angeles County were arrested 
on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol 
during the two weeks leading up to Christmas, local law enforcement 
agencies announced earlier this week.

The stepped-up enforcement will continue through New Year's Day.

On Saturday, checkpoints are to be set up in Arcadia, San Gabriel, 
Whittier, downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Northridge, Redondo Beach, 
South Los Angeles and the west San Fernando Valley.

"The Los Angeles Police Department is giving fair warning to all New 
Year's partyers," Police Cmdr. Andy Smith said.

"We anticipate making a large number of arrests, unfortunately, as is 
the case every year," Smith said.

About 193,000 people annually statewide were arrested on DUI charges 
from 2003 to 2011, the most recent year for which data are available.

On average each year during that time, 2,140 people were killed and 
30,900 were injured because of crashes that involved alcohol or drugs.

About 70% of DUI cases in Los Angeles County end in convictions.

That's similar to the state average, though conviction rates range 
from 56% in San Francisco County to 85% in Ventura County.

Feuer, who took office in July, said city prosecutors reached 
convictions or guilty pleas in 99% of the 12,000 misdemeanor DUI 
cases brought since the beginning of the year.

The city's conviction rate has been the same since at least 2010.

A first-time drunk driving conviction for people 21 and older can 
cost nearly $16,000 in fines, fees and auto insurance premium 
increases, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom