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  • AADD Moderators: swilow | Vagabond696

Victoria Police considering introducing roadside saliva drug tests

Pleonastic

Pleonastic

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Joined
Sep 11, 2000
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I heard an interview with a police chief on this morning's radio (3AW), but as yet I can't find an online article.
Essentially police are considering introducing roadside saliva tests to check for drug use, in a similar manner that alcohol tests are currently done. I only caught part of the story so I'm not aware of the specific details - if anyone can find a current online article it'd be much appreciated.
On the whole I think this is a good thing - driving when drug impaired isn't good and should be avoided. My only concern with this will be that there will be a blanket positive or negative result used to convict, regardless of impairment. Because the general community sees drugs as bad, it might be assumed that any drugs in your system will make you a bad driver, even if the effects of the substances have long since worn off (and are thus not actually impairing your driving at all). However there would be all sorts of issues involved in putting a 0.05 style system in place when the substances being tested for are illegal.
It should be interesting to see how this develops...
[ 06 September 2002: Message edited by: Pleonastic ]
 
I hope they have a good budget for increasing public transport services.
 
Pleo:
I think this is a good idea too as I don't think anyone should drive under the influence of more than minimal amounts of anything. Problems are the fact that only positive of negative results will be available won't they?
Are the tests conducted at the roadside or do the test results come back a few days later?
 
its a good theory, but drugs are a helluva lot more residual than alcohol. i think theres a lot more to come on this issue...
 
If I'm not mistaken, these are already in use in country area's of South Australia, I don't know about other states. It doesn't seem too unlikely that we will see them soon in suburbia. It rattles my nerves to think of what might happen if they sprung something like this around the corner from an outdoor rave, which dont usually find themselves near public transport alternatives...
 
I don't think it's a bad thing. My issues are just those others have expressed. They're saying it'll detect any drug use from the last 24 hours. Does this mean that if I have a cone before bed on friday nite, I can't drive on saturday afternoon?
This could be serious.
I don't have the answers, something needs to be done, but how do you do it?
It did say, however, that the tests would only be used if the person was visibly affected and failed an impairment test. If the police HAD to do an impairment test first, and there were fixed results you had to get, then I wouldn't really have a problem with it.
 
a lucky mate of mine just got a contract job with swinny uni SMOKING WEED and getting paid!
prick!
but on topic, they are giving him a joint, and i think alcohol, and then putting him in front of a driving simulator... could this be leading to something...? maybe the government is testing for the apparent 'limit' on how much you can have to smoke and still drive or something... I know there are always tests like these being run, but you never know....
OT again, the poor stoner friend of mine is only allowed to smoke once a week now (thats six days less than normal)... :)
[ 06 September 2002: Message edited by: *HappyApple* ]
 
Originally posted by secret squirrel:
It rattles my nerves to think of what might happen if they sprung something like this around the corner from an outdoor rave, which dont usually find themselves near public transport alternatives...
Let me guess... youre thinking of December the 7th? :)
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Originally posted by SupaDiscoBreaka:
Are the tests conducted at the roadside or do the test results come back a few days later?I'm pretty sure they're a roadside test with results as quick as the current breath tests are.
Originally posted by anfalicious:
It did say, however, that the tests would only be used if the person was visibly affected and failed an impairment test. If the police HAD to do an impairment test first, and there were fixed results you had to get, then I wouldn't really have a problem with it.If that were the case and the driver had to undertake a standard sobriety test first (like standing on one leg, or closing your eyes and estimating 60 seconds - stuff like that), then I'd have no problem at all with the tests. My fear though is that this won't be the case, and they'll still be able to perform a swab test based on piss-poor reasons. I'm of the opinion that if you're driving is impaired to the point where you are less safe on the roads then you deserve to be tested and booked because you shouldn't be driving anyway. And if the cops pull you over for driving badly, then they probably have good reason to assume you might have taken something (tough luck to all the naturally shit drivers, heheeh)...
I just hope they don't set up random drug testing stations like they have with booze buses, as these are just traps to catch people. If the test merely checks for the presence of a substance then there might be quite a few people convicted who are perfectly fine to drive, after taking minimal amounts of drugs 12 or so hours ago and then sleeping and recovering.
Click to expand...
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On the news it was stated that it would test for drugs of the "opiate family". Does this mean that if you had a few panadienes, you might get acused of driving on heroin? Would it distinguish between different opiates?
 
Pleo: I can just invisage a drug testing unit sitting at the end of the road out of kryal like they have had a booze bus in the past. I can see them just sitting there doing tests and taking 95% of the cars off the road.
 
Prometheus: Think of it this way. I have a cone before we all drive up to the party, I then spend the night sober, and have a little sleep in the backseat of the car. I then wake up and drive my friends home. I get busted on the way out because I had taken a drug in the last 24 hours.
 
I'm pretty sure any streetside test would not meet the prerequisite standard for evidence. Any such test could however be used as a basis for requesting a blood sample in much the same manner as current hand-held breatho's. A saliva test would most likely cause too many false positives to be reliable on its own. The relevant act, Road Safety Act 1986, states that:
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he or she-
(ba) drives a motor vehicle or is in charge of a motor vehicle while impaired by a drug;
so i guess it comes down to how a court interprets impaired or whether the government implements an 'impaired' standard similar to BAC.
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Ok, well, sorry i havn't read through all these post's properly, gotta run to work, thought i'd post a reply.
Check the title first... it says "saliva", not "salvia". *lol*
BigTrancer :D
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Hehehehe... I wrote the title and even I've been misreading it every now and then when glancing through the thread list... ;)
I should have said "spit" tests or something... :D
 
Mental Note To Self : Wake Up BEFORE Reading Bluelight
Ok, ok...so i stuffed up..sorry. *hides behind the trees*
But my 2nd point i still think applies (hehe)
I aggree there should be a range you have to be in to be convicted, like with drinking.
Post has been del. now.
*shakes his head at himself in the mirror*
aNt
 
Originally posted by BigTrancer:

Check the title first... it says "saliva", not "salvia". *lol*
BigTrancer :D
I made that mistake myself, i thought it was a bit wierd that they would be specifically doing tests for salvia in someones system, not to mention time consuming.
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Nb: Do NOT smoke Salvia and drive. You'll end up with your ear stuck to the accelerator or something.
Damn salvia forcefield.
 
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