Ghent, Belgium: On-site oral fluid testing technology is not yet reliable for use by law enforcement to accurately detect the presence of cannabis in motorists, according to a review published in the current issue of the journal Forensic Science International.
“[M]ore work needs to be done principally in the areas of the sensitivity and reliability of on-site screening devices, particularly for cannabis S before oral fluid testing for DUID (driving under the influence of drugs) will have the reliability needed to be used forensically,” the study concluded.
To date, roadside oral fluid testing has only been implemented in Victoria, Australia, where critics have charged that the test is often inaccurate. Law enforcement in Britain and several European nations are expected to participate in a forthcoming pilot program regarding the use of roadside oral screening to test motorists for controlled substances.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, Senior Policy Analyst, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the study, “Oral fluid testing for driving under the influence of drugs: history, recent progress and remaining challenges,” appears in the June issue of Forensic Science International.