Roadside oral fluid tests may now be used in Alpena to catch drugged drivers.

Drug recognition experts throughout the state, including Patrolman Adam David with the Alpena Police Department, are being asked by the Michigan State Police to participate in a pilot program testing an instrument designed to detect the presence of a controlled substance in a driver’s body, the State Police said in a news release. An analysis of the driver’s oral fluid, obtained by a mouth swab, will test for the presence of cocaine, opiates, and methamphetamines, along with other dangerous chemicals.

In 2018, according to MSP, drug-caused impairment led to 247 traffic fatalities, a number that has risen steadily in recent years.