New Device Detects Drugs From Fingerprints

Cool.....that would be REALLY useful for the cops for catching people under the influence of things other than alcohol.

There are better things than that to do with fingerprints; namely, identifying the perpetrators of real crimes.

This is quite fascinating

It starts here with mention of policing, homeland security etc. the big money investment teasers.

goes to press release

goes to this spin

Then becomes "illicit partying"?

Naturally everyone jumps on that "innovation", no one apparently asking; what happens to the surety outside lab conditions and proper subject preparation protocols?

Basically meaning, we jump from what is pretty well a lab process, with obvious cross-contamination potential, to roadside policing.

Like, what if you have the sweat, or other persons "highly specific anti-bodies" contained in bodily emissions, on your fingers?

Could be from a door knob, table surface, to feeling up a crack whore - none of which are illegal.

Would it ever stand up outside a controlled lab environment - I doubt it

I saw it as a good prescreening device to determine if further investigation/screening (e.g. drug test, blood test, etc) is warranted. The device doesn't state levels or which substance, it only states the presence of a substance. It wouldn't really work in the U.S. because nicotine is legal and the article states it detects nicotine. I wonder what other legal substances it will detect.

The dichotomy appears to be the test time is a minute or so, but the process is half an hour.

This I would speculate is because you have to clean the print area of all contact and environmental contaminants, then wait for virgin 'oil' to exude.

Strikes me, such quarantine is a very big ask in the real world involving any sort of vaguely intelligent offender/lawyer.

As for nicotine; it occurs in many foods, so non-smokers have various levels depending on diet. However it is a 'big money buzz word'.

I thought that before fingerprinting a person you are supposed to have reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed.... At least in this country, I don't think the police can just stop anybody and demand their fingerprints afaik.

It would be along the lines of a breathalyzer....but will catch the stoners and junkies too.