Michigan Police Might Soon Be Swabbing Drivers For Drugs

Open wide. Say ahh.

You know about drunk driving and how police test for that. But when it comes to drugged driving, police have to go about things differently.

A program that had some police officers in five Michigan counties asking drivers to allow a swab of their mouth to determine if they've been using drugs is being expanded statewide. (WILX)

During the initial one-year pilot program (that was started in late 2017), officers who were trained as drug recognition experts collected oral fluid if they suspected a driver was impaired by drugs.

Officers say it will take a few months to get it implemented statewide.

Questions about training, having to wait for a trained drug recognition expert to arrive on scene, keeping and using the collected swabs for DNA samples,  & consequences of refusing the test are being raised.

As far as the accuracy of the test, state police say the roadside test correlated well will lab test and blood test results. (WILX)