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  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

NEWS: Passive dope smokers 'positive'

haste

haste

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Passive dope smokers 'positive'

December 16, 2004

PASSIVE inhalation of cannabis smoke could lead to positive results from roadside drug tests, a test supplier said today.

d:tec Australia, which provides drug and alcohol tests to workplaces, said people who tested positive for cannabis in the roadside tests may not have taken the drug.

World-first random roadside drug tests of motorists were staged in Victoria last week in the start of a year-long trial.

The test detects THC, which is the active component in marijuana, and methamphetamines, or speed, in saliva.

Drivers provide a sample by touching their tongue on an absorbent collector and results develop in five minutes.

"Research has shown that a person who has passively inhaled cannabis smoke can show a positive result in a saliva test for up to 30 minutes post-exposure," d:tec Australia national account manager Andrew Leibie said today.

"As a result, people who test positive for cannabis use in a roadside saliva test may not have been actively smoking the drug themselves."

He said the research was presented to an International Association of Forensic Toxicology conference in Washington earlier this year.

AAP

News.com.au
 
But you get the blood test afterwards to confirm what levels of THC are in your blood. The saliva test is just a screener and doesn't have to be accurate just like breath tests arn't accurate.
 
The onus is still on you to prove that though, and that's what sucks about it. I wonder if passive meth smoking would lead to a positive test too?
 
Can any cop just make you have a blood test though?
Can you deny the fact and say you were at a mates who was smoking, then say you want to see a lawyer.

Even if they can, I'm sure you could do something about it in court later?
 
Well here's an idea, don't hang around your mates when they blow a joint, passive smoking can still get you stoned.
 
From the Handbook of Drug Analysis.

Page-286_Table_12-2.jpg
 
Last edited:
This from a few days ago:

Doubts over saliva checks
Wednesday, 15 December 2004

VICTORIA Police expect it will take some months before it expands its new random roadside saliva testing for illicit drugs into regional centres such as Ballarat.

Victoria Police spokesperson Sean Cadd said no date had been set for roadside drug testing to come to Ballarat, although assured the new trial would be rolled out across the state in the coming months.

Ballarat's John De Jong returned the world's first positive roadside drug reading in Melbourne this week, however the 39-year-old has questioned the result of the test.

Mr De Jong, who tested positive to THC, the active component in marijuana, claimed it had been four weeks since he had smoked a joint (marijuana) at his Ballarat home.

The new testing method has also come under fire from the Australian Drug Management and Education group, which claimed the salivary testing equipment was "variable at best".

"In our opinion, until a more sensitive and accurate test is available, testing saliva for illegal drugs will have limited practical use," ADME chief executive Gwen Wilcox said.

Victoria Police claim the random roadside saliva tests will detect the presence of THC and methamphetamine (speed) that is also known as ice or crystal meth.

"The consumption of THC will be detected for several hours after use," Mr Cadd said.

"The actual time after consumption that THC will be detected depends on the THC strength of the cannabis used and on the driver's metabolism and smoking technique.

"Drivers who may have inactive THC residue in their bodies from use in previous days/weeks will not be detected."

Mr Cadd said metham-phetamines may be detected for approximately 24 hours after use.

"These drugs can affect the ability of a driver to safely control his or her car for at least this period of time. Extremely large doses, other drugs taken at the same time, and differences in individual metabolism may affect the

duration of the effects of these drugs."

He said Victoria Police, who were adopting zero tolerance to roadside drug testing, considered the new trial as an important road safety campaign aimed at reducing the incidence of road trauma on Victorian roads.

Mr Cadd said the drug driving campaign was about increasing road safety, not drug detection, and therefore legislation prevented the evidence of saliva tests being used in court proceedings for non-road safety offences.

Mr Cadd also assured that passive smokers of marijuana would not be detected by the salivary testing.

The ADME said the fact that the first positive result was being contested demonstrated that there were potential flaws with using saliva samples to test for the presence of illicit drugs.

"Deficiencies in the current technology will undoubtedly leave the way open for legal challenges for people who test positive for illegal drugs," Ms Wilcox said. "This appears to be occurring already."
Click to expand...

From The Courier (ballarat)
 
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