Proposal to test street racers' hair for drugs

[webfact]

Proposal to test street racers' hair for drugs
PIYANUT TUMNUKASETCHAI
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- A PROPOSAL to have street-racers undergo random drug tests using strands of hair will be proposed to the Justice Ministry soon, Central Institute of Forensic Science (CIFS) director-general Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand said.

The test would help determine if the racers' recklessness could be related to drugs, Pornthip told a seminar held by the CIFS and the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection (DJOP) yesterday. The proposal will first be approved by DJOP before it is submitted to Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya for consideration.

The test, deemed 100 per cent accurate even a month after drug abuse, has already been used on up to 100 juveniles over five months and will be proposed for use on racers before they are admitted into department's facilities, she said.

This is because some juveniles were found using ketamine while granted leave from remand to visit their hometowns, she said, adding that the abusers choose not to use methamphetamine because it is easier to detect. Of the 100 juveniles, 22 tested positive for drug abuse, of whom 14 were reportedly inhaling ketamine, she said.

Admitting that the hair test, which can identify up to 20 narcotics, would be more expensive at Bt2,000 per centimetre of hair, she said the cost could be controlled by careful planning.

DJOP said most juveniles in detention were drug suspects and that this group was rising every year. Last year, there were 36,081 juvenile-related cases, 16,681 of which were drug-related.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Proposal-to-test-street-racers-hair-for-drugs-30265930.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-05

[thesetat2013]

The hair drug test should not be used. This would incriminate those kids even of the tried it once within years. Not just a month or 2. The cost can not be controlled with careful planning either. They either accept the cost or don't use that kind of test. There is no middle ground for that.

[Brit_Doggie]

So it ok to try it once and maybe kill someone that once so a lenient sentence should be administered same as I tried drinking one time in my life but got drunk that caused me to kill someone whilst riding my motorbike but hey it ok judge I won't drink ever again.

[Pomthai]

Skinhead is gonna become the new look for these kids.

[halloween]

Get a haircut and get a real job. George T and the Destroyers

Unless they like the Rip van Winkle look, I doubt they will be carrying around drug use history of more than a few months.

Edited August 5, 2015 by halloween

[NongKhaiKid]

Do Thai road users of any age need drugs to be reckless ?

[Chang_paarp]

So the mouth swab method of drug testing used in many countries is not valid for Thailand? I know Thai is different. Is the issue that the delinquent comes back to the institution after having too much fun on their time away, or that they have used drugs at some time in the past before their arrest?

[anon467367354]

maybe test the police that don't do their jobs and take tea money. What is all this tea money for?

Since when does racing have anything to do with drugs? It seems to me that someone in the gov't has

ties to a drug testing company that is looking for a quick income fix.

[toybits]

I would be very concerned about the handling of evidence. Unless there was an on-site test, such a test should only be limited to autopsies.

[bamnutsak]

This "street racing" thing certainly has captivated the attention of the Junta.

Lottery ticket prices, motorcycle taxi vest colors, beach chairs, booze/schools - all top issues requiring their attention.

They seem easily distracted?

[gandalf12]

Fingernail as well is a good place to take a sample. If they are road racing they are endangering the public and the post that it shouldnt be used is ridiculous. Dont do it and you are not subject to the test.......end of story.

[wabothai]

On road checkpoint: Sir we want some of your hair !!

[longtom]

If somebody would test hairs of all western members of parliament, judges, prosecutors, actors etc. etc. they would find an awfully lot of offenders for e.g. Cocaine. Same here in Thailand I suppose.

Pity the poor.

[z42]

Again lots of idiot logic. Drugs (noting that there are many all with varying effects on the body and mind) is an easy scapegoating tool to cover for cultural flaws, poor parenting / family dynamics, and abysmally poor law enforcement.

The problems would be solved if the cops actually did their jobs and enforced the law and set a positive example. The fact they don't fuels the problem. Crackdowns because they are inconsistent just breed even more distrust and disdain for the authorities because they are reactionary measures to their failure to do a proper job.

[digibum]

The hair drug test should not be used. This would incriminate those kids even of the tried it once within years. Not just a month or 2. The cost can not be controlled with careful planning either. They either accept the cost or don't use that kind of test. There is no middle ground for that.

That's propaganda from the drug testing companies. The test goes back 3 months as standard testing procedures use 1.5 inches of hair closest to the scalp which represents about 3 months of hair growth.

[digibum]

Fingernail as well is a good place to take a sample. If they are road racing they are endangering the public and the post that it shouldnt be used is ridiculous. Dont do it and you are not subject to the test.......end of story.

So, if you smoked weed at a concert 2 months ago and you get pulled over for street racing today, how are those two things connected?

If they are taking drugs and driving, that's an entirely different issue but that could be handled by urine, blood, or swab tests. Hair follicle testing wouldn't even detect if you were currently high if that was your only usage because it takes 7 - 10 days for the hair follicle to grow through the scalp and be visible.

So, it's a pointless test that only shows that at some point in the last 3 months they took drugs.

[digibum]

Again lots of idiot logic. Drugs (noting that there are many all with varying effects on the body and mind) is an easy scapegoating tool to cover for cultural flaws, poor parenting / family dynamics, and abysmally poor law enforcement.

The problems would be solved if the cops actually did their jobs and enforced the law and set a positive example. The fact they don't fuels the problem. Crackdowns because they are inconsistent just breed even more distrust and disdain for the authorities because they are reactionary measures to their failure to do a proper job.

Hair follicle drug testing for street racing makes as much sense as auditing their taxes for street racing.

If they're high while driving, throw the book at them but a hair follicle test will not tell you whether someone is currently under the influence of drugs. Hair testing gives historical usage, not current intoxication levels.

[englishoak]

No morons its related to being a teenager and totally incompetent RTP .... a few hundred arrested, heavily fined and having their scooters simply crushed not sold on or given back would sort it in a few months.