Originally published by the Centre for Justice Innovation.
We spoke to Paul Yates, from Intelligent Fingerprinting, about a new innovative and less invasive approach to drug testing.
Please can you explain what the fingerprint-based drug screening system is?
The fingerprint-based drug screening system is a quick, hygienic and easy-to-use approach to drug testing that works by analysing fingerprint sweat to detect drug use.
Several Drug Screening Cartridges are available, including the DSC 5-Plus which screens for opiates, methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis, and the DSC 8-Plus which screens for opiates, methadone, benzodiazepines and buprenorphine.
How is this different to other types of testing, and what are its advantages?
Fingerprint-based drug testing provides a quick and easy, non-invasive and dignified alternative to traditional point-of-care drug testing methods such as saliva and urine testing. As the system is portable it can be easily taken out for testing – at a client’s home for example – for spot check adherence to court orders, or to avoid vulnerable / shielding clients having to come into busy offices.
Key differences include:
- Support for social distancing during the pandemic: Fingerprint-based drug testing directly addresses hygiene and social distancing concerns
- Speed: Fingerprint sample collection takes seconds, with screening results delivered in minutes
- Convenience: The system is portable and fingerprint testing is quick and easy to perform at any time, in almost any location
- Dignified: Fingerprint drug testing is dignified for both the tester and the client
- Hygienic: Fingerprint sample collection is non-invasive and non-biohazardous
- Cost-effective: There’s no need for specialist same-gender collectors, specially prepared collection facilities or clinical waste disposal for used Cartridges. Organisations can run their testing programmemes themselves – eliminating the high costs incurred when using third party collection services
What kind of results does the test give you?
The digital screen on the DSR-Plus Reader displays a negative or non-negative screening result for each drug in the test within 10 minutes.
For organisations such as Family Drug and Alcohol Courts there is a requirement for parents to agree to take part in regular drug testing in order to maintain child custody. Intelligent Fingerprinting’s Drug Screening System is very applicable for this type of testing as its shorter detection ‘window’ screens for possible drug use in the day prior to parents’ regular meetings at council premises.
The Intelligent Fingerprinting system also provides a preliminary screening result. Should an initial screen prove positive for one of the four drugs tested – in contravention of a court order – two further samples for confirmation are sent away to a laboratory – to confirm the initial screening results.
What do the people who are tested with it think of it compared to other methods?
“The fingerprint test is quick to administer, non-intrusive, provides immediate results and, given the challenges faced by Children’s Services budgets, is relatively inexpensive when compared with other forms of drug testing. The response from parents has been overwhelmingly positive, with more parents seeking early help and voluntarily disclosing drug use”
Harrow Council
How and where will this technology be made available?
Intelligent Fingerprinting’s drug testing solution is available now. For further information, call Intelligent Fingerprinting on 01223 941941 or email [email protected]
