Michigan roadside drug test bill sparks debate in Lansing

Roadside drug test bills sparks debate

Former Detroit Police Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt says, on one hand, it puts another tool in the toolbox to keep the public safe. But he admits there are many concerns.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Michigan drivers may get pulled over for a new reason if a bill in Lansing becomes law, allowing police to test for drugs with a swab of the mouth.

Big picture view:

Former Detroit Police Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt says, on the one hand, it puts another tool in the toolbox to keep the public safe. But he admits there are many concerns.

"There are going to be problems because who are you? Are you a professional to swab me, and the DNA is going to get out there? There are going to be so many legal ramifications," Dolunt said.

Under the legislation, a swab of the mouth for saliva would be able to tell an officer in minutes if you have drugs in your system.

Drivers FOX 2 spoke with had mixed reactions.

"I honestly think you shouldn’t drive under the influence," said Mika Smith. "If you are on drugs, and you test positive for drugs, I mean you shouldn’t be driving on drugs."

What they're saying:

State Rep. Brian Begole is a supporter of the possible new law, saying in a statement:

"This testing capability is non-invasive, simple, and reliable. It will help law enforcement when they have probable cause to conduct a stop and as they are working to protect the public."

But others say Big Brother is getting too big.

"It wasn’t too long ago that an employer would ask to look into someone’s urine, and it’s a massive invasion of their privacy, and this is just a step in the exact same direction from another source," one man told FOX 2.

Dig deeper:

Kyle Zawacki handles legislative affairs for the ACLU of Michigan. He says the science behind the testing is simply not accurate enough.

"Almost 11% of all tests on the roadside produced either a false positive or false negative," said Zawacki. "When you break it down to just the positives, almost one in four of those were incorrect, about 24%. When you break it down in a positive rate for specific substances, cocaine was more than 30%, benzodiazepines were 60%, and more than 64% produced a false positive rate."