A hand-held device which can detect whether a driver has taken drugs from the sweat on a finger has been developed by academics.
Fingerprint drug tester devised by academics
By David Millward, Transport Editor
12:26PM GMT 15 Nov 2011
The innovation comes as the Government looks to introduce roadside drug testing within two years.
Invented by Intelligent Fingerprinting, a spin-off company at the University of East Anglia, the device is capable of detecting whether a motorist has taken cannabis, cocaine or heroin.
The company is in discussions with the Home Office over getting approval which would enable the machine to be bought by police forces across the country.
It is one of a number of methods under consideration by the Government as it looks to tackle the growing menace of motorists driving under the influence of illegal narcotics.
Currently anyone suspected of driving under the influence of drugs has to undergo a Field Impairment Test by the roadside.
This entails an officer asking the driver to carry out an array of co-ordination tests, such as standing on one leg. A motorist who fails is then take to the police station where a blood sample is taken which, if positive, is used as evidence in court.
In other parts of the world where roadside testing is already in place, the most common method relies on taking a saliva sample using a swab.
But this machine could offer a number of advantages over its rivals, said Paul Yates, the company’s business development manager.
“Saliva can be hard to collect,” he said. “Some drugs do create dry mouth syndrome. People can also adulterate the sample by putting something else in their mouth.
“It also has the advantage of using a fingerprint, which is unique to each individual and therefore creates a unique chain of evidence.”
If the Home Office endorses the device for use by police forces, it could go into full production next yea
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/new ... emics.html
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