This document reports on research that aimed to better characterize the contribution to drug-impaired driving in the U.S. associated with compounds that are not included as part of the standardized scope of testing set forth by the NSC-ADID recommendations.
This research report describes a project that aimed to comprehensively test blood samples collected and submitted for analysis to a reference laboratory for both Tier I and Tier II drugs and other emergent substances, including NPS in suspected Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) cases. The report presents the following information: the authors’ research questions; research design, methods, analytical and data analysis techniques, including sample acquisition and assessment; participants and other collaborating organizations; changes in approach to research and reasons for change; and outcomes for the five objectives. The authors’ objectives were: sample acquisition and analysis; method development and validation for identified analytes of interest; Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) evaluations; four-year assessment of DUID drug concentrations; and dissemination of research findings.