Here is an article indicating some progress on dealing with drugged driving.
From http://www.telegraph.co.uk Online News from England
The drugalyser: new weapon in the clampdown on drug driving A new handheld “drugalyser” that detects substance abuse in under two minutes could become the latest weapon the clampdown on drug driving.
By Heidi Blake
The portable handheld device can detect cocaine and heroine from a saliva sample within 90 seconds and other substances within minutes. It is able to detect drugs in the body at far lower levels than existing testing devices The new portable device, which will be available in 2011, would mean police officers could carry out tests on suspected drug drivers at the roadside. A positive result would mean officers would no longer have to wait for permission from a doctor before a blood test could be taken to be used as evidence in court.
The government announced plans in August to install a device to catch motorists driving under the influence of drugs at every police station within two years after a survey revealed earlier this year that nine in 10 drivers support a tougher stance on drug driving. Last year, in a government-sponsored study, 10 per cent of drivers aged 18-29 admitted getting behind the wheel after taking illegal drugs. Peter Welch, chairman and chief executive of Concateno, which produced the decvice, said: “The new system will offer significant operational benefits to healthcare and police professionals; perhaps the most important being the ability to speed up the point of care testing process. It may also be used hospitals and doctors surgeries to detect patients with substance abuse problems.
