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Drug Testing Entire Cities at Once

Ellis D. Tripp writes "Researchers have developed a technique for determining what illicit drugs people might be consuming in a given area, by testing a sample from the local sewage treatment plant. As little as a teaspoonful of untreated wastewater can reveal drug use patterns in a given community. Obviously, any drugs found can't be tied to any specific user, but how much longer until the drug warriors want to deploy automatic sampling units farther upstream of the sewage treatment plant?" From the article: "one fairly affluent community scored low for illicit drugs except for cocaine. Cocaine and ecstasy tended to peak on weekends and drop on weekdays, she said, while methamphetamine and prescription drugs were steady throughout the week."

14 of 562 comments (clear)

  1. but..... by ILuvRamen · · Score: 4, Funny

    what if someone flushes a bag of drugs cuz they know the police are gonna search their house? That'd make it look like 1000 people overdosed at once lol

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    1. Re:but..... by Zarluk · · Score: 4, Funny

      From now on, I'll pee in the garden ;-)

  2. Utah results are in... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Results for Salt Lake City show very high levels of LDS

  3. And most importantly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    They'll also be able to tell if your city is pregnant

    1. Re:And most importantly by LeadfootCA · · Score: 5, Funny

      Congratulations, it's a suburb!

  4. Stupidity reaching new lows by infonography · · Score: 5, Funny

    This drug war foolishness is getting out of hand.

    My standing policy for piss testing is they have to collect it orally if they want if from me. Hot from the pipe.

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    Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
  5. They can have my shit ... by bcrowell · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.

  6. Re:Tracing Of Users? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    From now on I'm only relieving myself on the neighbor's lawn.

  7. Re:The drug profile of my neighborhood's sewage by thc69 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Please allow me to take this opportunity to agree with you.

    Mmmm....tequila.

    Next slashdot poll: Favorite tequila
      - Cabo Wabo
      - Oro Azul
      - Don Julio
      - Jose Ceurvo
      - Sauza
      - CabelleroNeal

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  8. And this was posted by none other than.... by zuki · · Score: 4, Funny

    Original Post Submitted By -> Ellis D. Tripp

    This is just pure coincidence, right?

    Z.

  9. I took a massive dose of LDS... by AmazingRuss · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...at a Judas Priest show in Salt Lake City. Caused me to see legions of wide-bottomed, watery eyed blond folks in suits on ten speeds.

    I'll never touch the stuff again.

  10. Re:Tracing Of Users? by Chris+Pimlott · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh boy, I smell the premise for a new episode of Law & Order...

  11. Re:Tracing Of Users? by NMerriam · · Score: 5, Funny

    There are two separate, yet equally important bodily functions...

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    Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
  12. Re:ADD by bazorg · · Score: 4, Funny

    maybe they all met at the clinic