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Philips Develops Roadside Drug-Testing Device
Al writes "A handheld developed by Philips for law enforcement detects traces of cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and methamphetamine in 90 seconds. The system uses magnetic nanoparticles attached to ligands that bind to traces of these drugs. Once saliva has been placed inside the device, an electromagnet mixes the sample and the nanoparticles. Frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) — the same phenomenon that underlies fingerprint scanners and multitouch screens — is then used to measure a change to the refractive index. By immobilizing different drug molecules on different parts of a sensor surface, the analyzer is able to identify traces of each different drug. An electronic screen displays instructions and a simple color-coded readout of the results."
I'm not getting you. Are you saying that we shouldn't be enforcing the laws that protect us because it's too expensive? Or we shouldn't be testing people for narcotics that would totally impair their ability to drive because our founding fathers came to this great land with the expectation that they could get high on smack in the privacy of their horse-drawn carraiges?
These people are then arrested regardless of whether or not they show signs of actual impairment.
Good, they should be. Why? Because *they're breaking the fucking law*.
Now, you may not like the limits that have been put in place. That's fine. Maybe .08 is too low. Who knows. Although some level *must* be set ("actual impairment" is *far* too wishy-washy a definition, and IMHO would simply leave the law open to *more* abuse by law enforcement, not less). But if you drive with a BAC over the legal limit, whatever that limit is, then you're breaking the law and you deserve to be thrown in jail. Period.