XPost: uk.legal, uk.politics.drugs   
   From: me@privacy.net   
      
   > Pupil tests on drivers called into question   
   >   
   > A multimillion pound Department for Transport (DfT) campaign to show how   
   > pupil size can reveal drug use in drivers has been launched despite a DfT   
   > report recommending that pupillary tests by police be discontinued.   
   >   
   > The 2004 Road Safety Research Report to monitor the effectiveness of UK   
   > Field Impairment Tests (FIT) said that examination using a pupillometer   
   > 'contributed very little' to FIT and overall accuracy was low.   
   >   
   > Drugs such as opiates are known to cause pupil constriction whereas   
   > cannabis, hallucinogens and stimulants are known to cause pupil dilation.   
   > Despite its own report's recommendation to discontinue pupillary tests,   
   > the DfT believes its £2.3m campaign (News 21.08.09) will be effective.   
   > 'The pupil testis used along with a range of other measures precisely   
   > because pupil dilation can be caused by a number of things. However,   
   > although drugs are not the only factors to have an involuntary effect on   
   > the eyes they are one of the signs that the police can look for,' said a   
   > spokesperson. 'The reason that we use this as the focus for the campaign   
   > is that this effect on the eyes is well known among drug users but they   
   > don't think that enforcement authorities know about it. Our research   
   > showed that the target audience was very responsive to this message.'   
   >   
   > Optician's clinical editor, Bill Harvey commented: 'A campaign to   
   > highlight the dangers of drug taking while driving is commendable, but the   
   > potential use of pupil diameter as evidence in prosecutions is fraught   
   > with potential injustice. The erroneous suggestion that dilation is a   
   > useful predictor of underlying illegal drug use has been shown to be   
   > inaccurate.'   
   >   
   > http://www.opticianonline.net/Articles/2009/09/04/24021/Pupil+   
   ests+on+drivers+called+into+question.html   
      
   Don't be silly, everyone knows that the Police can tell if your   
   guilty or not by your skin pigmentation.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)