Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - Given the decline in alcohol related traffic accidents in 2014, Jalisco's Ministry of Health has proposed "rapid" drug testing in addition to breathalyzer tests for the "Operation Lifesaving" roadside checkpoint campaign throughout the state.

The Ministry’s Secretary, Agustin Jaime Gonzalez Alvarez, announced that the department is currently collaborating with a company out of Germany to determine the accuracy of the tests in detecting if a driver could be operating under the influence of cocaine, marijuana, or methamphetamines.

"We are going to do the relevant trails to see how accurate the tests are, then present the results to the governor for the authorization to proceed," said the secretary.

Interviewed at the "National Conference on Risk and Accident Prevention" last week, González Álvarez explained that a quick saliva test can detect if the driver is operating under the influence. A positive test result would lead to the offender being detained, much the same as failing a roadside breathalyzer test for alcohol, at routine traffic stops, checkpoints, or accident scenes.

As Congressman Elijah Iniguez, chairman of the Health Committee, pointed out, the approval of roadside drug testing would require law changes by the state congress, not only to determine what level of drugs present in the body would be considered illegal, but also the punishment for driving under the influence.

"The company that has approached us is very reputable in Germany. What we want to do now is see if this kind of testing is practical for use in the state of Jalisco," Secretary Alvarez stated.

The health secretary said that deaths from traffic accidents presently stand at 788 for 2014 in the state of Jalisco - down from 827 in the same period last year. He attributed the decline to the success of the "Operation Lifesaving" campaign.

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