Drug-drive test makes science news headlines

The latest UK science news takes lab products out of the laboratory setting with the news that police will soon have a portable testing device for drug-driving.

Home Office minister James Brokenshire announced the device on Friday (January 14th), outlining its importance in the fight against drug-influenced driving.

Current regulations mean that an approved medical examiner must assess individuals before they can be subjected to a blood test.

With an automated and legislated device to do this part of the process, it is hoped officers might be able to test more motorists they suspect of having taken drugs, as they can do using a breathalyser to detect traces of alcohol at present.

The Home Office has now published its specification of a device it is hoped could achieve this.

Mr Brokenshire says: "Motorists under the influence of drugs are a danger on the road. We are determined that police have the highest-quality devices to help identify them."

He adds that the science news is "a big step" in the direction of achieving that target.