Drug Recognition A Roadside Perspective PC. Aaron Coulter – Midland Police Service Disclaimer 1998 – A snapshot Impaired driving in 1998: A roadside perspective Decision on the Roadside • Sober…off you go • Not so sure…Screening device – Over 80 • Hammered..Police Sta=on – Impaired/Over 80 • Alcohol impaired drivers much more common • Blood alcohol concentra=ons higher • No mechanism to convict drugged drivers History of the DRE program • Officers of the LAPD set out to develop a system to charge drug impaired drivers in 1979 • Scientists from John Hopkins University became involved in developing and proving the tests were accurate both in the lab and in the field DRE program in Canada • DRE program began in 1995 in Canada • no laws to demand tes=ng un=l 2008, before bill C2 used the ‘ask nicely’ method • Interna=onal Associa=on of Chiefs of Police (IACP) endorsed the model and it spread worldwide Bill C2 – July 1, 2008 With the new legisla=on…. -‐Drivers who are suspected of being under the influence of a drug must submit to a Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) -‐ Drivers who are obviously impaired by a drug must submit to a Drug Recogni=on Evalua=on(DRE) and if found to be impaired must provide urine or blood on demand Things became a little more complicated… Sober Not sure Screening Device Off you go SFST Admin. Suspension Is it alcohol? Breath Test Hammered Arrest Could it be both? Is it drugs? Drug Recogni=on Evalua=on What type of drug? Release Over 80mg Impaired by Drug or Alcohol Bodily Fluid Demand Drug Recogni=on Experts/Evaluators do three things… 1. recognize signs and symptoms of drug use or medical distress in a driver 2. conduct an evalua=on to determine if the person is impaired and if so, what category or categories of drug causing impairment. 3. give tes=mony on the drug impairment Testing Procedure • 12 step process • Breath test if alcohol suspected • Eye tests – Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, pupil measurements, reac=on to light • Sobriety Tests – Walk & Turn, One Leg Stand, Finger to Nose • Clinical Signs – Blood Pressure, Pulse, Temperature • Signs of Drug Use, Admissions Seven Drug Categories CNS Depressant Inhalants Dissocia=ve Anesthe=c Cannabis CNS S=mulant Hallucinogens Narco=c Analgesics How drugs work in simple terms • Our bodies have a delicate systems of uppers and downers called neurotransmibers • ie. Adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin • Homeostasis • Downside Effect • Addic=on CNS Depressants CNS Depressant-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ • An=-‐Anxiety • An=-‐ Depressant CNS S<mulant • Alcohol Hallucinogens • Valium, Xanax, epam Dissocia<ve Anesthe<c Telltale Sign Narco<c Analgesics • Horizontal Gaze Inhalants Nystagmus • Act drunk Cannabis Inhalants CNS Depressant Inhalants-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Dissocia<ve Anesthe<c Cannabis CNS S<mulant Halucinogens Narco<c Analgesics Aerosols: Hair sprays, Pam, Dust Off Vola=le Solvents: Model Glue, acetone Anesthe=c Gases: Ether, chloroform, amyl nitrate, Nitrous oxide Telltale sign -‐ residues Dissociative Anesthetic CNS Depressant • PCP Inhalants • Ketamine Dissocia4ve Anesthe4c • Dextromethorphan DXM Cannabis CNS S<mulant Hallucinogens Narco<c Analgesics Cannabis CNS Depressant Inhalants Dissocia<ve Anesthe<c Cannabis-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ CNS S<mulant Hallucinogens Narco<c Analgesics • Marijuana • Hashish • Synthe=cs Telltale Signs • Red conjunc=va • Muscle/eyelid tremors • Munchies CNS Stimulant • Cocaine CNS Depressant • Crack Cocaine Inhalants • Methamphetamine aka Crystal Meth Dissocia<ve Anesthe<c • Ritalin Cannabis CNS S4mulant-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Tell tale signs • Dilated pupils Hallucinogens • Increase Pulse, Temp, BP Narco<c Analgesics • Tremors, Bruxism Hallucinogens CNS Depressant Inhalants Dissocia<ve Anesthe<c Cannabis CNS S<mulant Hallucinogens-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Narco<c Analgesics Natural • Peyote • Psilocybin Synthe=c • LSD -‐Lysergic Acid Diethylainde • MDMA-‐ ECSTASY • Telltale Sign Narcotic Analgesic Opiates: CNS Depressant • Heroin Inhalants • Morphine Dissocia<ve Anesthe<c • Codeine Cannabis Synthe=cs: CNS S<mulant • Demerol Hallucinogens • Methadone Narco4c Analgesics-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ • Fentanyl Narcotic Analgesic Signs and Symptoms CNS Depressant Telltale Signs • Constricted pupils Inhalants • Decrease pulse, BP, Dissocia<ve Anesthe<c temperature Cannabis • Low/slow/raspy voice • Dry mouth CNS S<mulant • “On the nod” Hallucinogens • Facial itching Narco4c Analgesics-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ • Depressed reflexes Toxicology • If subject is deemed impaired at the end of an evalua=on a demand for blood, urine or saliva can be made • Urine is the most widely used fluid as it required no special skills to collect however it has troubling limita=on • Blood is the gold standard however it is difficult to obtain Limitations • Marijuana + Driving • Illicit Drugs vs. Prescrip=on Medica=on • Impairment vs. Categories • DRE or Toxicologist • Blood vs. Urine Successes Thank you
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