PEACE - POT FOR PEACE, PEACE FOR POT

Looking for NSW government information on driver saliva testing gets you redirected to the Victorian government site, http://www.arrivealive.vic.gov.au/c_drugsAD.html

The newspapers are already calling it a fiasco as drivers who tested positive to swab tests have been cleared by urine or blood tests. There are a number of competing products for saliva testing, and obviously the product chosen by the Victorian Police is not accurate, and not impressing anyone. The USA has been implementing drug testing regimes into industry, schools, government agencies and motoring. It was inevitable that this would get marketed here.

NSW has not yet officially committed to a particular testing procedure, but is said to be watching the Victorian experiment closely. Different products can use different ways of testing. Perhaps one of the other products is more reliable than the one now being trialled.

The Victorian Government and Police have refused to apologise to the first person arrested, whose name and photograph was published by waiting reporters as the first drug driver apprehended under the new scheme, but who proved to be as innocent as claimed when the results of blood testing came back showing no traces of either drug. He is threatening to sue for damage to his reputation, and pain and suffering on the part of his young family if he does not receive a public apology.

It was claimed that, despite some initial problems applying the tests, they soon proved accurate enough. It was also said that Cannabis persists in saliva for three or four hours after smoking.

Later results showed only nineteen positive tests for the trial period, at least one being a false-positive. Greater numbers of alleged speed and ecstasy users were found.

There are many products advertised in America for cleaning or coating the mouth that say they provide protection from these tests. We will probably see them marketed here soon.

For some information on what's available locally
http://www.drugtesting.com.au/

A source in the United States says that there is no accurate or reliable saliva drug testing product available at this time. It is the follow up urine and blood tests that count as evidence.

"Drug driving proposals in NSW: In November 2004 the Minister for Roads, Hon Carl Scully MP, announced that legislation will be introduced in 2005 to empower police to conduct random drug testing of drivers, using saliva tests to detect cannabis, ecstasy and speed. Testing will operate on a 12 month trial basis and concentrate on the functioning of the technology and police operations, rather than prosecuting drivers caught during that time. The Government also plans to introduce legislation in 2005 to authorise blood testing of all drivers involved in fatal road accidents."

"Rather than blowing into a breathalyser, drivers will be asked to provide a saliva sample by placing a small absorbent pad on their tongue for a few seconds. The Securetec Drugwipe II Twin device is supposed to take about five minutes." (In Victoria, another test is mentioned in the enabling legislation, called Cozart RapiScan.)

"Saliva testing only shows up marijuana usage in the last four to five hours, but 24 hours for all the other drugs, including amphetamines (speed), opiates (heroin, morphine, codeine), cocaine, benzodiazepine (valium and so on) and THC (cannabis). The advantages of saliva over urine testing are the speed of obtaining results (10 minutes versus several days) and it is less invasive."

See the Cannabis News for more...

ROADSIDE DRUG TESTS

The Nimbin HEMP Embassy believes the NSW Government is going to have a hard time defending a trial that would expand police powers to order blood, saliva or urine tests for suspected drug-impaired drivers.

Andrew Kavasilas, HEMP Embassy Vice President and a noted cannabis researcher says there is simply not enough evidence to give police the power to stop drivers and ask them to produce saliva, urine or blood.

Mr Kavasilas said, " my main interest is in medical cannabis and its distribution through the body. The real scientific evidence opens a Pandora's box, that the very popular synthetic party drugs and harder drugs pass through the body extremely faster than cannabis. Youngsters will work it out.
There is no evidence, there are no cases, that demonstrate this is a problem, that there are a whole bunch of people smoking cannabis and crashing cars and killing others. "

Mr Kavasilas said. " What we do know is that there are a couple of foreign companies offering big incentives to police departments around the world to be the 'first' to take up these types of experimental devices. These breathalysers are being used in Europe, but they aren't used to detect cannabis"

In Canada, comprehensive legislation has been tabled that would allow police officers to put a driver through a battery of tests, beginning with people walking heel-to-toe in a straight line then standing on one foot for 30 seconds. Then they'll check the person's pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, the pupil's reaction to light. The driver may eventually have to give a urine, saliva or blood sample. This section of legislation, which forms part of the Government new initiative to
decriminalise cannabis is not expected to pass.

"What does this mean for the proposed medical cannabis trials Mr Carr has been calling for?" Mr Kavasilas added.

Andrew Kavasilas
2004 Vice President
Nimbin HEMP Embassy
6689 0199

Mail the Hemp Embassy

Other Pages on Saliva...

Saliva Driver

Testaliva