Georgia Urine Testing
If a driver is arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Atlanta, there are three different chemical tests that law enforcement agents can use to determine the driver’s BAC, or blood alcohol content. These three chemical tests are breath, blood, and urine tests.
Urine testing poses a series of legal issues. This is due to the fact the urine testing is the least reliable of the three chemical tests. If you were charged with DUI and were asked to take a urine test, it is important that you contact experienced DUI defense attorney Frank Gomez immediately.
Urine tests are typically only given if the officer suspects that the driver was under the influence of drugs, not under the influence of alcohol. This test typically provides inflated results when used to measure alcohol intoxication because the test involves water instead of blood. Alcohol concentration in urine is about 1.33 times the alcohol concentration in blood. However, this test may be used if blood or breath testing is unavailable.
Though urine testing is a scientific process, unless the protocols are followed to the letter, the test is prone to human error. The tests may become unreliable if the lab technicians do not follow the proper procedures.
Another problem with the reliability of urine tests when screening for drugs is that the test cannot indicate when the drug was last used; it only detects the metabolites that are left over in the system. This means that if a person smoked marijuana on Friday night, he or she may test positive the following week, even though the drug no longer has any effects. The metabolites in the person’s urine may not be a good indicator of whether or not the person is fit to drive.
A study done by the National Institute of Drug Abuse found that 20 percent of the labs in the survey reported finding illegal drugs in urine samples that were actually drug-free. This is because there are many chemical compounds that look similar during a drug screening. For example, ibuprofen may produce a false positive reading for marijuana, while codeine and some cough syrups may show up as heroin.
As you can see, urine testing is often unreliable for impaired driving cases, whether the alleged intoxicant was alcohol or drugs. It is possible to challenge these test results. Frank Gomez and his attorneys have vast experience in challenging test results and are ready to fight your DUI charges. To speak with experienced DUI defense attorney Frank Gomez in the Atlanta area, fill out our form now.
