Michigan police face questions about using experimental saliva drug test at DUI stops
Published: Nov 27, 2017, 10:14 am • Updated: Nov 27, 2017, 10:14 am
By The Associated Press
NILES, Mich. — Michigan State Police officers are conducting roadside saliva tests on suspected drug-impaired motorists as part of a program spurring questions about the tests’ accuracy.
State Police Special First Lt. Jim Flegel tells the South Bend Tribune that the program uses a portable saliva-testing device that can tell officers if a driver has certain drugs in his system, such as marijuana or opiates.
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Michigan Medical Marijuana Association president Michael Komorn says he’s concerned about the tests’ accuracy and the program’s experimental nature.
The $150,000 program is called the Preliminary Oral Fluid Analysis. Flegel says it aims to combat an increase in fatal crashes caused by drug-impaired drivers. He says officers must have a reason to suspect impairment before testing a driver.
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The program is currently being used in five Michigan counties: Berrien, Delta, Kent, St. Clair and Washtenaw.
Information from: South Bend Tribune
Topics: driving high, drug testing, DUI, DUI device, police, saliva device
