Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 25, 1994 TAG: 9408250121
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: BOSTON LENGTH: Medium
Police in Memphis, Tenn., gave urine tests to reckless drivers who appeared not to be drunk. They found that more than half were on cocaine or pot.
``It was a surprise that so many were under the influence of drugs, although we suspected there would be a significant number,'' said police Inspector Charles S. Cook.
Police routinely give breath tests to bad drivers whom they suspect to be drunk. However, on-the-spot testing for other drugs is rare, since it requires taking a urine specimen - something that is not practical on the highway.
For an experiment in roadside drug testing, Memphis police put together a ``drug van,'' a former ambulance fitted out with toilet, interview area and videotaping equipment.
In the summer of 1993, they gave drug tests on the spot to any reckless drivers who were not obviously drunk. Police took urine samples from 150 drivers; 89 of them, or 59 percent, tested positive for cocaine or marijuana.
The tests, widely available from several manufacturers, can give results in 10 minutes.
The results of the police experiment were written for today's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Daniel Brookoff of Methodist Hospital in Memphis.
Police can often tell when drivers are drunk, even before they give the breath test. But drugged driving is much harder to detect, particularly with cocaine, which produces varying symptoms in people.
Some cocaine-impaired drivers perform better on the standard curbside sobriety test than sober folks.
``We saw people who did great on the sobriety test,'' said Brookoff. ``The problem was, they were driving 90 mph on the wrong side of the road with their lights off.''
by CNB