Summit County sheriff’s deputies Wes Dobbins and Dan Cuckler figure they missed so many signs over the years.
Each deputy has patrolled the county for nearly two decades, pulling drunken drivers off the road. In some cases, they let folks go if they didn’t appear drunk or there was no indication of alcohol use.
But after extensive training last year as drug recognition experts, Dobbins and Cuckler now wonder how many of those people were high on illegal or prescription drugs.
“When we went through [the training], our eyes opened,” Dobbins said. “Wow, there are so many things through the years that we missed. Some simple indicators.”
The deputies are at the forefront of a state initiative to identify and crack down on people who drive under the influence of drugs, commonly called “drugged driving” — a problem that rivals drunken driving, experts say. Dobbins and Cuckler are among 33 drug recognition experts in Ohio. The State Highway Patrol, which is overseeing the statewide effort, hopes to have at least 100 trained over the next two years.
The majority work in urban settings, with eight in Franklin County and six in Hamilton County. The state, which is using federal money to pay for the effort, hopes to have at least one trained officer in every county. (There are two in Medina and one in Stark.)
The belief is that if officers can spot the signs, they can take those drugged drivers off the road and lower the number of fatal accidents.
“We recognize as a patrol, and law enforcement in general, there are some big problems with drugs in our communities. And when it’s in your community, it’s on your roadways,” said patrol Sgt. Wes Stought, the state’s drug recognition coordinator.
The 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that 10.6 million people, or 4.2 percent of the population 12 or older, reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the previous year. The rate was highest, 12.7 percent, among ages 18 to 25.
Prescriptions abused
The problem is not limited to illegal drugs. Many people are abusing prescription medication.
“There are so many people out there driving impaired every day, and it’s not just alcohol that’s the impairment,” said Dobbins, who with Cuckler serves as a crash investigator for the sheriff.
The Drug Evaluation and Classification Program, which started in Los Angeles in the 1970s, is used today in 43 states, the District of Columbia, three branches of the military, the Internal Revenue Service and several foreign countries. Other states have reported increased arrests for drugged driving after its introduction.
Law-enforcement officers must apply and qualify for the program, which includes some medical instruction. They go through rigorous training and testing — more than 100 hours — so they become proficient in identifying the signs and the type of drug abuse.
Real-life training
Dobbins, Cuckler and others here traveled to Maricopa County, Ariz., for hands-on tests with inmates at the county jail. Why Maricopa? That community has such a widespread and wide-ranging drug problem that it was easier to find people with a variety of drugs in their system, they said.
The final exam took more than four hours, Dobbins and Cuckler said.
Using a 12-step checklist that can take more than a half-hour to complete, the officers can determine whether someone is high on depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, anesthetics, analgesics, inhalants or cannabis.
“We use several tools as far as measuring pupil size, taking blood pressures, taking body temperature, checking muscle tone,” Cuckler said. “We check pupil size in regular light, near total darkness and in direct light.”
Each type of drug provides multiple signs. For example, analgesics will constrict the pupils. Inhalants will induce bloodshot, watery eyes. Marijuana will add eyelid tremors.
Toxicology reports confirm the drug recognition experts’ conclusions.
The training is so in-depth that a 1993 Arizona Department of Public Safety study showed officers had a 91 percent success rate of identifying at least one drug in suspects.
After being trained, officers also are better able to distinguish between medical emergencies and drug impairment.
In crashes involving serious injuries or fatalities, the deputies now put the person at fault through the 12-step process, if possible.
They can either find the person was impaired or rule out an impairment, removing the possibility of more serious charges being filed, Cuckler said.
Help with education
While the training is geared toward identifying drugged drivers, Dobbins and Cuckler said they can help out at schools with students, and educate teachers and parents about what to watch out for, as well.
The sheriff’s office is setting aside a room at the county jail to conduct screenings. The deputies also are available to travel to other police agencies to help, if requested.
“They’re there,” Dobbins said of drugged drivers. “It’s just a matter of us detecting them and taking them off the road.”
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.