October 31st 2006

Many will applaud random roadside drug testing as a worthy new step in keeping our roads safe. But will the promised benefits of the quick curbside swab be worth the high costs of implementation, confusing legal implications and frightening impact on law-abiding citizens who may mistakenly be labeled criminals?

This free public lecture explores the complex issues associated with drug driving and questions why only certain types of high profile drugs are targeted while other more dangerous drugs taken by drivers are ignored.

Michael Dawson
Associate Professor Michael Dawson is Head of UTS's Department of Chemistry, Materials and Forensic Science.† He applies analytical chemistry research to forensic science, in particular, the clandestine synthesis of illicit drugs and the detection of licit and illicit drugs in biological fluids. Michael regularly appears in court as an expert witness and is a frequent commentator in the media. He is a member of the Pharmaceutical Sub-Committee of the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee, the Australian and New Zealand Forensic Science Society, the Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation. Michael is also a Board Member of the charity, Family Drug Support.

Resources

• presentation slides (PDF 1.4MB)
• flyer (PDF 52k)
• audio recording (MP3 24MB)

UTSPEAKS: is a free public lecture series presented by UTS experts discussing a range of important issues confronting contemporary Australia