Understanding drug and alcohol testing is crucial in legal practice. Properly interpreting results and knowing when to consult an expert can impact cases in criminal, juvenile, child custody, and probation hearings. Allegations of substance misuse may lack scientific support, requiring a thorough understanding of testing methods—both screening and confirmatory—and their potential ambiguities, especially with opiates and amphetamines. While tests for ethyl alcohol can be more straightforward, interpreting these results demands knowledge of ethanol pharmacokinetics and testing limitations. Accurate interpretation often requires detailed lab reports and medical records, as even weighing suspected drug samples can be complex.
Nathan Tamulis, Esq., Committee for Public Counsel Services, Boston teaches you how to interpret results (and knowing when to consult with an expert) from these methods and analyses, excerpted from MCLE's 4/2/2024 live webcast: Toxicology for Lawyers: Drug & Alcohol Testing. The full program is available as an on-demand webcast or an MP3 here. Get 24/7 instant access to hundreds of related eLectures like this one—and more—with a subscription to the MCLE OnlinePass. Learn more at www.mcle.org/onlinepass and start your free trial today!