Impaired Driving Testing: Department of Health

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CLIA Certificate of Compliance for High Complexity Clinical Laboratory
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
Ambient Air and Drinking Water Testing
Food Science Laboratories are accredited by ANAB to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for Testing Laboratories, Certificate AT-2054
Forensic Biology/DNA, Toxicology and Drug Chemistry Laboratories are accredited by ANAB to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for Testing Laboratories, Certificate FT-0004, Federal Bureau of Investigations DNA Analysis & CODIS
Rhode Island Department of Health - In-State Analytical Laboratory Certificate
Rhode Island Department of Health - In-State Clinical Laboratory License

What we do

Identify and quantify drugs and alcohol from blood specimens submitted by law enforcement agencies.

Train law enforcement officers in the areas of breath analysis instrument operation, relevant laws and regulations and operational protocols, and drug recognition in motor vehicle operators. Officers certified in 2020: 2,006; Number of breath instrument inspections completed: 1,042

Coordinate and maintain the National Highway Safety Administration’s Standard Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) instructional program.

Accomplishments

•2020 data: Number of breath tests administered by law enforcement: 580; Average age: 35.4; Average blood or breath alcohol level: .168 (blood), .167 (breath); Number of impaired driving blood samples tested: 166; Percentage of cases positive for alcohol: 47%; Percentage of cases positive for drugs other than alcohol: 47.6%; Percentage of cases with ethanol or drugs: 94.6% Most commonly detected drugs in blood: 1. THC and/or metabolites:50% Narcotic analgesics/Opiates: 33% 3. Central nervous system stimulants (cocaines and amphetamines): 27% 4. Antidepressants/psychotics: 7% 5. Other Central nervous system depressants (sedatives, sleeping agents, muscle relaxants): 2%

Contact

Impaired Driving Testing

Mission

What we do

Accomplishments