Testing drivers for drugs

[projekktor id=’26475′]

Starting today, some Canadian police officers will be carrying roadside screening devices to test saliva for illicit drugs. So far it’s just a test, the officers will be asking for volunteers, with no danger of repercussions. This a test led by Public Safety Canada, one Federal department that works with police to counter crime. The government wants to know how the devices hold up for different police forces in different climates. So the pilot project will be held in smaller places like Yellowknife and Halifax, but also in Toronto, Vancouver, and with the Ontario Provincial Police.

Police are testing two different devices both take saliva samples and look for several different substances, including cannabis, cocaine and opiates. The only goal for police at this point, is to see if they work. Police will not collect any information from volunteers; they’ll only note the date and time and the unit number tested. Police won’t test anyone they believe to be impaired. Those people will still be subject to sobriety tests police currently use.

One device is from a German company, Securetec, the other is Australian, Alere. Both warn they might not function below five degrees celsius. Volunteers will be asked to swab their mouth, the devices change colour when they have enough saliva to test. Both manufacturers claim to have accurate results in less than 10 minutes.