Michigan introduces roadside drug testing

Beginning on 8 November, police officers from 12 agencies in the US state of Michigan will deploy handheld devices to test for the presence of numerous drugs in the saliva of drivers under a pilot program across five counties.

Police will use the Alere DDS2 oral fluid test device, said Shanon Banner, the spokeswoman for the Michigan State Police (MSP). The device will test for the presence of six drugs – opioids, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and benzodiazepines.

Drug Recognition Experts (DREs), police officers who have received advanced training in assessing drug and alcohol impairment, will administer the oral fluid test during the pilot program. The tests will be conducted in the same way as an alcohol preliminary breath test (PBT).

Drivers refusing to take the oral fluid test will be cited for a civil infraction, as currently takes place under alcohol PBT procedures. As well as conducting the saliva tests, DREs will still take blood as part of the current standard drug-testing procedures.

“Drug Recognition Experts will continue to follow the same policies and procedures for investigating a person they believe to be operating a vehicle while impaired on a controlled substance. The only difference in the pilot counties will be if the DRE determines a motorist is impaired on drugs, they will ask the person to submit to an oral fluid test,” said Banner.

Drivers must be suspected of driving while impaired to receive an oral fluid test, but they will not receive saliva tests when passing through roadblocks or sobriety checkpoints, because these preventative measures are not legal in Michigan.