Deadmeat

Indeed, driving should be done stone-cold sober ... classic film ... I've got this on a t-shirt ... I guess one day I'll have to grow-up

jgombos

Random roadside testing in Australia?? I was considering leaving the U.S. in favor of Australia because we've lost our fourth amendment rights here. That's disappointing to hear. I thought Australia was better than the U.S. on civil liberties; however, in the U.S., I believe cops still need an excuse of some kind to do a drug search (but a poor excuse will do, like speeding).

Anyone know if New Zealanders are protected from unwarranted and unreasonable searches?

rubbeldiekatz

take it easy, I dont think you have any idea about how many people take some kind of drug.....especially in australia....its out of control and the system works alright

bondipom

It will be interesting to see how accurate the tests are because the police do not want to waste their time with drivers who won't produce much revenue.

Loads of RBTs and traffic police last night. Come Firday the road will be plastered with police ready for double demerits.

jgombos

Drug tests for marijuana are not accurate in detecting impairment. The most expensive and precise test is gc/ms analysis on blood, and even that test will give a false positive for impairment as long as six weeks after consumption.

To address your point about revenue, inaccurate drug testing works to the benefit of state revenue here in the U.S. As long as the courts accept the drug test as evidence of impairment, they can throw the book at a sober driver and collect copious amounts of money from fines, while also generating revenue for insurance companies and rehab centers on top of that.

I'm not sure about Australia, but this system of incriminating sober drivers is a big commonplace business in the U.S. A positive drug test = revenue, period, regardless of whether it's a false or true positive.

mlbonner

Unaccurate - they got put on hold this morning, or so I heard on the news. I can't remember the number, but a lot of the drug tests done came back as negative when lab analysed.

Kiwipaul

Cigarettes (tobacco) don't impare your ability to function (they just fill your lungs with tar and cause cancer ) alcohol does but random breath tests limit that and having a alcohol conviction can cause you to loose your job, just need to extend it to drugs as well. Athletes already loose their carreer if caught taking drugs.

So long as his drug taking dosn't affect his job the next day I have no problem with it. The problem is people who take drugs during the day to keep going containing god knows what from your drug dealer on the street corner.

Perscription drugs that go through years of testing are sometimes found to have fatal side effects. So what do you think the chances of getting side effects from home brew is?

Would you want your kid to be taught by a teacher high on Canabis, treated by a doctor, ride on a bus with a driver out of his head on drugs.

Kiwipaul

Small quantties aren't a problem, at home but NOT at work or driving but once you start taking small quantities the quantities have to increase to get the same effect (just like smoking) and then you start taking stronger drugs. It's a downward spiral that most drug takers don't even realise they are on untill they try and stop (just like smokers).

Shellfish

Really? I have seen a bicycle on a lamp post (truly), what do you suppose that means?

andrew63

Very true. No drug (or alcohol) tests are available for measuring impairment. That is why in the US the policeman will ask you to stand on one leg and touch your nose etc. to judge how imapired you are.


Close! GS/MS is the most expensive test and can be done on any body fluid and even hair etc. It will not give a false positive result but it may be interprested incorrectly, such as they may identify a compund which could be part of an illegal drug or part of a legitimate medicine. GC/MS does not test for impairment. Nothing does. It simply looks for the drug metabolite in the sample. Most drugs are removed from the body 24 - 72 hours after taking and undetectable in body fluids. Except for Cannabis which can remain for up to 4 weeks or so. A hair test will be positive for as long as your hair has not been cut (ANY HAIR)

Illicit drugs do impair people. Pilots, public transport and hazardous tramsport drivers are routinely tested in the UK.
There are cut-off levels and only if the reading is above those levels is action taken.
Your pilot, for instance, is allowed zero alcohol on his breath. So, he has to watch what he drinks the night before a flight.
Extensive studies have been perfomed on pilots, esp. volunteers from tha USAF to measure impairment from Cannabis.
Using various quantities of Cannabis, the pilots were subjected to a flight simulator at various stages after a session. Of course a few hours after they were still stoned and crashed.
Some of the guys 24 hours later who beleived they were totally out of the influence still managed to crash the plane and it was not until 72 hours had gone by were they back up to their normal high standard.

Drink/drugs are great but they do impair (at different levels) even when you think you are OK.
You know after a hard night you are not 100% in the morning. Why should your employer pay you 100%?

Andrew

bondipom

I think the police would like it that way but the lawyers are already circling over these cases.

renth

I've seen it a few times in Perth too. Surely it can't meen the drugs have arrived because once the shoes are up there they stay there. What sort of message is that to potential drug customers? it's misleading.

I bet that false positive bloke is pissed off that he blurted out that it had been 4 weeks since he last got stoned. Best to keep your gob shut in that sort of situation.

jgombos

I have to correct myself here.. I've discovered that in some parts of the U.S. people are getting drug searched entirely at random. They don't even need a poor excuse anymore.