The Drug Policy Alliance firmly opposes driving under the influence of any drug, whether that drug is currently legal or illegal.  We are committed to keeping our roads safe, which means removing people from the road who choose to risk their lives and the lives of others by driving under the influence of any intoxicating substance.
 
In general, DPA is working to educate members of Congress about the need to establish impairment levels similar to the Blood Alcohol Content standard, and about the need for road-side testing devices that will help identify intoxicated drivers rather than drivers who may have consumed illegal drugs in the past but are not currently impaired.
 
The fact that traces of a substance may be discovered within bodily fluids does not necessarily imply that the individual is impaired, or even experiencing the intoxicating effects of a substance. Blood, urine, saliva and hair tests will only indicate the presence of a drug in a person's system, without indicating when the drug was used, how much was consumed, or whether the person is currently impaired. 
 
The public safety concern with DUID is the harm that impaired drivers can cause on the road, regardless of what substance in their bodies is causing the impairment. DPA supports the development of a scientifically accurate system to test drivers for impairment under all drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines. We also support additional funding to facilitate Drug Recognition Training for police and other law enforcement personnel, based perhaps on the Drug Recognition Expert training program that is currently operating in California.
 
Drug-impaired driving is a genuine problem that merits thorough consideration. Policymakers should be aiming to enact DUID legislation that removes people from the road who choose to drive while impaired. Anything else is simply a waste of taxpayer dollars and law-enforcement resources, which should be used not to identify people who choose to ingest a substance, but to identify those who choose to drive while under the influence of that substance.