It isn’t hard to see that drugs are a problem in our country, with people consuming more each day. With the war on drugs being a major headline across the U.S. for decades, it’s been a long road coming to find a viable way to crack down on this illness. Whether or not addiction is a crime or disease has been a passionate argument, but what remains fact is the need for government and state officials to remove intoxicated individuals from situations where people are at risk of getting hurt. With breathalyzers acting as a viable deterrent against drunk drivers, what can be done about drugged drivers?
New advancements are allowing officers of Michigan’s new one-year state police pilot program to become specially trained to detect these intoxicated drivers before they have a chance to hurt anyone. Furthermore, roadside saliva tests are being used to determine if a driver is currently on, or has recently been on, drugs such as opiates, cocaine, cannabis, benzodiazepines, methamphetamine, and amphetamine that may impact their ability to effectively operate any machines or vehicles. Five counties will be selected to partake in this trial, and it will act as a stepping-stone into the newest phase of possibilities for reducing the risks of drug abuse for Michigan drivers, as well as allowing more opportunity to research how to continue finding new and better ways to treat drug use and addiction. It is only when we can find the people who need help recovering that we can make a difference for them. With the help of Michigan’s new one-year state police pilot program, at least we’re making an effort in the right direction.
Many officials rightfully scrutinize this new effort for a number of reasons including the idea of randomly selecting individuals for such invasive screening seeming too intrusive, the varying degree of impairment caused by some drugs over others, as well as certain drugs like cannabis remaining in a persons system long after the effects have worn off. It’s hard to say whether or not residents of the lucky five counties will welcome or criticize the new program, but it can be said that officials are optimistic about it’s potential without being naïve to the possible risks and backlash. Regardless of what the law says it should be obvious to not drive or operate any machinery while intoxicated by any foreign substance at the risk of harming other people, but it is called being “under the influence” for a reason.
We understand that no matter what the reason is, people use drugs. It can affect their ability to think, rationalize, and function properly both mentally and physically and cause accidents or actions that would otherwise be unthinkable. Intoxication can even lead people to commit crimes. If this has happened to you or someone you know and you need a respectable attorney to listen to your needs and help guide you through any drug related litigation, call us at 1.877.732.2491 or complete our free case review form to receive a prompt response from our one of our knowledgeable staff or attorneys.