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News (Media Awareness Project) - US OH: Drug Testing Seminar
Title:US OH: Drug Testing Seminar
Published On:2006-04-02
Source:Advertiser-Tribune, The (Tiffin, OH)
Fetched On:2008-01-14 12:55:11
DRUG TESTING SEMINAR

A rainbow of colors: red, blue, green, purple and white. If police
officers only test white substances, they may miss finding other illegal drugs.

Twenty people from various law enforcement offices attending a recent
seminar at Sycamore Fire Station to learn how to identify and test
various drugs.

North Carolina resident Jack Thorndike, Nark sales and training
representative from SIRCHIE Group, shared information about colors
being added to various drugs to disguise them.

Thorndike said if an officer stops someone for probable cause, but
only finds a white or off-white substance, they should have it tested
to make sure it is not crack cocaine.

Those in attendance had the opportunity to test cocaine and marijuana
to see the colorful results.

Sycamore police officer Jennifer Boucher said, "It helps you become
more aware of the proper use of test kits, and how to figure out
which test kit to use."

Several officers said they have seen a steady increase in drug use.
Those in attendance were from Seneca, Wyandot, Crawford and Sandusky
counties. Drug users are as young as early teens, but as old as those
in their 60s.

Seneca County detective Don Johnson added that drug use is prevalent
in every social status, from the poor to the health officials,
including nurses and doctors.

"It could be anybody abusing drugs. This seminar brought to light all
the other testing kits available to the sheriff's department," Johnson said.

He has been assigned to the METRICH department with the sheriff's
office since 2001, serving as a detective since 1999.

Sycamore Volunteer Fire Department fire investigator Bob Hosterman
attended the seminar. He said he has a lot of training in meth labs,
because they can result in house fires.

Several officers said they were not aware of urine meth being used.

"When you have a search warrant and you find a couple jars of urine
in the refrigerator or under the sink, you might guess it is being
used again for meth," said Thorndike.

Thorndike, who travels to all 50 states training officers, used humor
as often as possible to lighten a serious epidemic.

Detective Tracy Keegan from the Bucyrus Police Department said as
they gather information from residents in certain areas, they try to
add extra patrols in those areas.

"We had a big raid last summer, because people in the area
complained. We are dealing more with 20- and 30-year-olds," said Keegan.

That age may be more involved in the club drugs, such as Ecstasy and GHB.

Thorndike explained that GHB is legal and purchased on the Internet
and at health nutrition stores. He said it is used by some
bodybuilders and rave club attendees. It is when it is mixed with
cocaine it becomes illegal.

"Ecstasy, called the love drug or hug drug, keeps increasing the body
temperature up to 104 degrees and higher. If you don't drink water,
you can die," Thorndike added.

Ohio State Highway Patrolman Jeff Conley said the seminar was very informative.

"We travel all over the roads, state highways, county roads and back
roads. I see people of all ages, from teens to adults, abusing drugs.
I see marijuana being as common as tobacco," Conley said.

He said the testing information was important to remind him to do a
field test before arresting someone, and then to follow up with the
testing at the state lab.

Wyandot County Deputy Sheriff Mike Hoy said deputies send their tests
to the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

Jonathan Miller, assistant prosecutor for Wyandot County, said,
"Powder cocaine, crack, marijuana and methamphetamine all pose a
danger to Wyandot County. Understanding the field tests for these
drugs helps me to work more closely with the area law enforcement and
makes me a better prosecutor."

Sycamore Sergeant Dave Zeis and chief probation officer for Wyandot
County common pleas court, Jason Barth, planned the seminar.

"A lot of officers want to take advantage of any classes they can to
further law enforcement. One of the steps we can take is drug
identification. It will help in the field, as we come across
different drugs," said Barth.

Now, when officers come across colorful substances that "snap,
crackle, pop," they will know it is time to get out their field test
kits and find out for sure what substance they are dealing with. If
it turns bright blue, it just might be crack.
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