IS DRUG-TESTING SCIENCE OUTPACING STATE LAWS?

WASHINGTON -- State laws haven't kept up with advances in technology that
make it easier for police to determine if a driver is on drugs, an advocacy
group says.

"The law is often behind where the science is," said Linda Chezem, senior
judge for Harrison Circuit and Juvenile Court in Indiana.

Until very recently, drug-testing was limited to highly specialized
forensic labs that sometimes took weeks to glean results.

Now, rapid tests of urine samples can produce results within minutes.
Technology for testing blood and saliva has improved, making it easier to
detect drugs.

Still, people who drive under the influence of illegal drugs are rarely
detected, prosecuted or referred to treatment programs, according to a
report by The Walsh Group and The American Bar Association, funded by The
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.