Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton Intensively Working on Finding a Legal Solution for the Use of Drug Tests in Traffic

(Patria) - Minister of Interior of Sarajevo Canton Admir Katica, through the Team for Supervision of the Implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan for the Prevention and Suppression of Drug Abuse in Sarajevo Canton, has requested from the Institute for Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina that the use of tests for indicating the presence of narcotics in the blood be defined by by-laws as soon as possible.

The primary goal is to prevent persons under the influence of narcotics from driving motor vehicles and to prevent traffic accidents, which increasingly end with the most severe consequences, including fatalities. By applying tests for indicating the presence of narcotics in the blood, along with adequate legal and by-laws, the police would gain the ability to test drivers in traffic, and if the tests confirm the presence of narcotics, automatically exclude them from traffic.

On behalf of the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton, the Team for Supervision of the Implementation of the Strategy for Prevention of Drug Abuse in Sarajevo Canton held a meeting with representatives of the Institute for Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the Institute for Metrology of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the aim of exchanging information and experiences and establishing guidelines for the adoption of necessary regulations for the procurement and use of measuring instruments that determine the presence of narcotics in the body. At the meeting, maximum readiness for cooperation was expressed, and the results of all research and knowledge collected on this issue in the countries of the region and beyond were presented.

It was emphasized that it is crucial to use quality tests with maximum reliability, which will be used and stored in a proper manner, and regularly serviced by authorized servicers. At the same time, by-laws must ensure that the use of tests, as well as the results they show, constitute legal evidence for future proceedings. For example, due to the lack of legal regulations, police officers in the BiH entity of Republika Srpska were unable to use tests if the driver refused, which often prevented the procedure from being carried out, and subsequently, changes to the legal regulations in that entity had to be made.

At the meeting, it was concluded that the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton will also establish contact with the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim of determining the existing devices on the list of medical equipment approved for use for this purpose, as well as to supplement the List of Medical Devices for which certificates of entry in the Register of Medical Devices have been issued, if necessary. The Supervision Team will propose to the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton the creation of a rulebook on the method of using tests, which will clearly define what tests can be used, what performance they should have, the method of use, education of police officers, servicing of measuring instruments, maintenance, and other matters, and the Institute for Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate in its creation from a professional and scientific standpoint.

As highlighted during the meeting, the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton is the first security body in Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the Institute for Metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a request to legally enable the use of these tests, which is the only correct way for their application and the results they show to be sustainable before the law.