cannabisnews.com: Have You Been Drinking or Using Drugs? 





Have You Been Drinking or Using Drugs? 
Posted by FoM on December 14, 1998 at 10:35:29 PT
Invasion of our privacy has to stop! Doesn't it?
Have You Been Drinking or Using Drugs? Police Officers Will Soon be Able to Answer Both Parts of This Question in Just Minutes! 
What if a police officer could tell if a suspect was under the influence of illegal drugs in a matter of minutes, as easily as the officer could administer a breathalyzer test for alcohol? At holiday checkpoints across the nation this month, police officers will routinely administer breathalyzer tests to determine if a suspect is under the influence of alcohol. However, statistics show that about 50 percent of drivers under the influence are actually under the influence of drugs, not alcohol ("Prevalence of Drugs and Alcohol in Fatally Injured Truck Drivers," Journal of Forensic Sciences, Vol. 38, No. 6, November 1993; "Testing Reckless Drivers for Cocaine and Marijuana," New England Journal of Medicine, Aug. 25, 1991). Breathalyzer tests, while simple and reliable, cannot test for the presence of drugs of abuse in a person's system. Testing blood for the presence of illegal drugs requires an invasive blood or urine collection procedure and exposes technicians to health risks from contact with contaminated substances. "People are driving under the influence of a lot more than alcohol these days, and police officers can't easily tell if someone's using rock cocaine, PCP or other illicit drugs without time-consuming and invasive blood or urine tests," said Fred Reno, 58, a retired detective lieutenant and former narcotics officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, adding, "A device that could test instantaneously for drugs and alcohol will make breathalyzers obsolete." Saliva testing currently exists as an option only for alcohol tests. The only way to currently test for drug-related driving (impairments) is with a blood test. Urine testing, while useful in determining whether a person has used drugs as recently as two days prior to the date of the test, cannot reveal whether a person is currently under the influence of drugs. With an innovative, new device designed to make testing for drugs as easy and noninvasive as a breathalyzer for alcohol, saliva testing can now uncover drugs of abuse. The new technology is being incorporated into a hand-held device by LifePoint Inc. (OTC BB:LFPT), a Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based company. The company's first product application will offer simple, reliable saliva testing for drugs of abuse and alcohol. This noninvasive option will allow police departments to reduce the time and risk involved in current testing methods, while maintaining accuracy. Another advantage will be the device's ability to simultaneously test for drugs and alcohol in less than five minutes. The company hopes to complete testing and have the product available for use in the 1999-2000 holiday period. This new technology is easily adaptable to a wide variety of settings, with potential applications ranging from screening for heart disease and cancer, to drug monitoring in nonmedical settings, to use by law enforcement. The LifePoint device will supply the user with a painless testing alternative that is speedy and reliable at the same time -- welcome news for medical and law enforcement personnel and for everyone who would prefer to avoid needles whenever possible. LifePoint recently appointed Burrill & Co. to help the company find corporate partners to take this technology to a wide variety of diagnostic applications. For more information on LifePoint, visit www.lifepointinc.com or call 909/466-8047, ext. 222. 
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Comment #3 posted by ganga queen on April 11, 2001 at 11:15:27 PT:
no more new tests!
Another attempt to keep us from doing what we want. When I see people under the "influence" no matter what it is they are generally nicer than those who don't use it. If drugs make people nicer and happier then why can't we just legalize it? Is it really bad that we can't just leave the issue of pot legal? Think about it!
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Comment #2 posted by R.Tosh on April 14, 2000 at 13:29:32 PT:
Cannibis Use
 How long does the marijuana stay in the body up to? Do you have any idea how many times does the military test for drugs up to a year for reservists?
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Comment #1 posted by Dr. Ganj on December 15, 1998 at 22:44:15 PT
Enough is enough!
Look out friends! What is it going to take to finally say we've had enough? Tracking us all with DNA samples? Monitoring us with GPS implants. Have you read "1984"? It sure is looking mighty ominous. Here's my advice: Know your rights, go & vote, and lastly, if you are busted, say nothing & DEMAND a trial by jury! Do *NOT*, no matter what, accept a plea bargain. This will only protract this horrible war on people. This is their tool to beat you as an individual. However, if all the people that got busted on drug charges went to trial, the drug laws would have to be changed. You are taking the hard path now, so that others in the future will enjoy the freedom they deserve. This my friends, is called SACRAFICE.A little pain now, in order to save a huge ammount of suffering later. Think about it.        I wish you all the best,            Dr. Ganj
http://www.marijuananews.com
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