In the State of New York, there are two sets of laws that deal with drivers who operate a motor vehicle while physically impaired by a chemical substance: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (DUI) and Driving While Impaired (DWI), which includes the use of both prescription medications that were ordered by a licensed health care provider as well as illegal (“street”) drugs.
As in other states, alcohol and drug testing in NY begins when there is reasonable suspicion that a driver may be operating a motor vehicle while impaired. The driver may then be asked to perform one or more “field sobriety tests” (e.g. “heel-to-toe walking” or “follow my finger with your eyes without moving your head”) to determine if there are physical signs of impairment. If these signs are observed, the driver may be asked to submit to a roadside breath test to confirm the presence of alcohol. If that test is positive, the driver is usually taken to a location where a more precise determination of blood alcohol levels can be made. Although this procedure is followed literally thousands of times per year, it has several shortcomings.
First of all, breath samples cannot reliably detect the presence of of drugs or other substances that may be causing physical impairment of the driver. Secondly, and as permitted by state law, a driver may request that a blood or urine sample be used rather than simply relying on the results of a “mass-produced” breath sample analysis.
In either case, the blood or urine sample must be collected under a strict set of legal and medical requirements before the sample can be sent for alcohol and drug testing. By NY state law, laboratories that conduct forensic alcohol and drug testing in NY are regulated by the NY State Police and the Office of the Medical Examiner. It must, however, be noted that only those laboratories meeting the requirements set forth by these agencies can submit test results that may be admitted as evidence in New York DUI/DWI court cases.
Since drug and alcohol abuse can pose dangers to others, many businesses have instituted policies that provide for “screening” or “quick-look” testing to detect impaired employees. In addition to the well-known breath tests for alcohol, there are now a number of pre-packaged testing kits that will allow the detection of drugs and other substances in a urine sample.
Although there are several companies that supply kits for either alcohol or drug testing, very few offer a full line of comprehensive, multiple-substance, testing supplies that are both cost-effective and reliable. One company that does offer a compete selection of easily-administered substance abuse testing kits is Drug Tests In Bulk.com.
Drug Tests In Bulk offers a comprehensive line of easily-administered, accurate, alcohol and drug testing supplies for both private and law enforcement use. Additionally, they maintain a full inventory of testing supplies for use in government-run or private forensic test labs. Their combination of a complete inventory and the availability of priority or overnight shipping should make Drug Tests In Bulk a primary source of forensic testing supplies.
