Alcohol, Drugs, and Impaired Driving: Forensic Science and Law Enforcement Issues

Product Description
Alcohol, Drugs, and Impaired Driving addresses many theoretical and practical issues related to the role played by alcohol and other psychoactive drugs on driving performance, road-traffic safety, and public health. Several key forensic issues are involved in the enforcement of laws regulating driving under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs, including analytical toxicology, pharmacology of drug action, as well as the relationships between dose taken, concentration levels in the body, and impairment of performance and behavior. Our knowledge of drunken driving is much more comprehensive than drugged driving, so a large part of this book is devoted to alcohol impairment, as well as impairment caused by use of drugs other than alcohol.
For convenience, the book is divided into four main sections. The first section gives some historical background about measuring alcohol in blood and breath as evidence for the prosecution of traffic offenders. The important role of the Breathalyzer instrument in traffic-law enforcement, especially in Australia, Canada, and the USA is presented along with a biographical sketch of its inventor (Professor Robert F. Borkenstein of Indiana University) with focus on the man, his work and his impact. The second section discusses several issues related to forensic blood and breath-alcohol alcohol analysis as evidence for prosecution of traffic offenders. This includes how the results should be interpreted in relation to impairment and an evaluation of common defense challenges. Because most countries have adopted concentration per se laws, the main thrust of the prosecution case is the suspect’s measured blood- or breath-alcohol concentration. This legal framework necessitates that the analytical methods used are "fit for purpose" and are subjected to rigorous quality assurance procedures. The third section gives a broad overview of the current state of knowledge about driving under the influence of non-alcohol drugs in various countries. This includes adoption of zero-tolerance laws, concentration per se statutes, and clinical evidence of driver impairment based on field sobriety tests and drug recognition expert evidence. The fourth section deals with epidemiology, enforcement, and countermeasures aimed at reducing the threat of drunken and drugged driving.
All articles have appeared previously in the international journal Forensic Science Review, but all are completely updated with current data, references, and the latest research on developments since the articles were published. This book contains a convenient collection of the best articles covering recommendations for blood and breath testing methods, public policy relating to such methods, and forensic and legal implications of the enforcement of measures to counter driving under the influence.
Review
"This much awaited book is now available and an essential resource for all toxicologists, clinical practitioners and other experts involved in better understanding the role of alcohol and drugs and their contribution to road trauma. The book provides a comprehensive summary on a range of forensic issues in relation to driving under the influence ... this textbook should find a place on your bookshelf."―Dimitri Gerostamoulos, Book review on behalf of the TIAFT Bulletin, Volume 50, No. 4
About the Author
Dr. AW Jones was born in Wales, UK, but has lived and worked in Sweden for over 40 years. He recently retired from his appointment as senior scientist at Sweden's National Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Division of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology (Linköping, Sweden). Dr. Jones currently serves as a guest Professor in Forensic Toxicology at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Linköping, Sweden.
Dr. Jones received his first degree (BSc honors class II division I) in chemistry in 1969 and followed this with a PhD degree in 1974, both were awarded by the University