By Police1 Staff
TORONTO — Police have launched a pilot program that will test drivers for recent presence of drugs in their saliva.
CBC reported that the program will test how well police can use the device on drivers in different weather conditions. The program will run until spring of next year.
Officers have to make an assessment on the driver before performing the test, according to the publication. Personal data won’t be collected, but a variety of drugs will be tested by the device.
Drivers will face no charges in the voluntary program, even if they test positive for drugs, police said.
The devices selected for the test, the Alere DDS 2 and the Securetec DrugWipe 5S, can detect the recent use of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines and opioids.
Before arrests can be made after using the device on drivers, the Criminal Code has to change.
“Before the Toronto Police Service can begin using the devices in actual enforcement situations, there would need to be legislative changes to allow roadside drug screening to become part of the drug-impaired-driving regime,” police said in a news release. “None of these devices has been approved for use in the field to aid in the formation of grounds to lay any type of charges. Further, none of these devices has been validated as police equipment.”