New technology helping to crack down on high drivers in Kansas

https://www.kwch.com/2023/06/27/new-technology-helping-crack-down-high-drivers-kansas/

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – The Kansas Highway Patrol is using new technology to help detect people driving while high on drugs. The new device, called SoToxa, tests fluids from a person’s mouth and tells troopers what drugs might be in their system.

Trooper Sean Hankins said there are more drug-impaired drivers on Kansas roads than there are alcohol-impaired drivers, but he said they can be hard to detect.

“One of the issues we have in Kansas and this entire country is identifying the drug-impaired driver because the alcohol DUI is the one we’re always very comfortable with,” said Hankins.

SoToxa makes the detection process a little easier.

“As you consume drugs into your blood system, it’s called passive diffusion. The drugs transfer from the blood into the oral fluid,” Trooper Hankins explains.

Here’s how SoToxa works. A person swabs the inside of their mouth to collect the oral fluid. The swab then goes into SoToxa. Five minutes later, the results are in – showing whether any of the six drug families SoToxa tests for are detected.

“We’re checking for amphetamines, methamphetamines, cocaine. We’re also checking for tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana that makes people high. We’re checking for some opiates and some benzodiazepines, some of those mood stabilizers,” said Trooper Hankins.

The ultimate goal, he said, is to keep Kansas streets and highways safe.

When there is road side testing for alcohol blood levels, most states have a BAL >0.08 the person is considered legally drunk. This article and this system (SoToxa) states that the results from using this equipment MIGHT tell what drugs be in the person’s system.  This suggest that this testing system is a qualitative test as opposed to a quantitative test. The first could show if ANY of the substances it is trying to detect is in the pt’s saliva, the second is HOW MUCH of the substance is in the person’s body, as the BAL equipment does by blowing into the machine.  This sounds like many people could be charged with driving under the influence, for even the bare minimum being in the person’s system. I am not aware of any levels of any of the substances being tested for .. has a “level” that is presumed to be “under the influence” ?

Filed under: General Problems