Tennessee DUI News

As of July 1, 2020, Tennessee joins 42 other states in the Interstate Driver License Compact. According to the National Center for Interstate Compacts,  The Driver License Compact is an interstate compact used by States of the United States to exchange information concerning license suspensions and traffic violations of non-residents and forward them to the state where they [the offenders] are licensed—known as the home state. Its theme is “One Driver, One License, One Record.” The home state would treat ... Read More »

Regular readers of this blog know that I try to keep them informed about new methods of detecting marijuana (THC) in the body of drivers.  For instance, you may wish to review my 2019 post here and my 2015 post here.  In addition to breath tests, a saliva test has now been studied.  If perfected, this method will likely be used by law-enforcement officers as part of their investigatory procedures to determine if someone is driving under the influence of ... Read More »

Apparently drive-through bars are for real and being used more frequently during this pandemic!  For instance, Johnny’s Bar and Casino became the first drive-through bar in Great Falls, Montana. Fortunately, the business already had a drive through window through which it was previously selling food. However, once receiving approval from the State of Montana, Johnny’s Bar and Casino began selling growlers, bar drinks, and beer through the window complete with drive-through bartenders. One may learn more about this drive-through bar ... Read More »

Readers of this news blog may recall an interesting post about “Auto Brewery Syndrome” (ABS) posted by one of our California contributors, Lawrence Taylor.  This syndrome occurs when bowel abnormalities affect patients by creating a yeast overgrowth, usually candida, in the G.I. tract.  This causes fermentation of ingested carbohydrates, producing enough alcohol to result in drunkeness.[1]  Interestingly, in 2020 a distinction from traditional ABS was made in a case study published in the peer-reviewed Annals of Internal Medicine.  The treating ... Read More »

As USA Today reported in 2020, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), has long been criticized for not having any medical research to back up its efficacy.  However, a new study published by the medical journal Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, reverses a 2006 study by now concluding that AA and similar twelve step facilitation (TSF) programs interventions usually produced higher rates of continuous abstinence than the other established treatments investigated.  This study purposes that, “AA/TSF may be superior to other treatments for ... Read More »

Unlike testing for alcohol, breath testing technology does not yet exist for cannabis. However, this type of technology is growing ever closer. The principal problem is that the technology must detect recent cannabis use and additionally prove that the cannabis in one’s system impaired the driving. The problem arises because cannabis may be detected in one’s body long after the effects of the drug have worn off. THC, the active ingredient in cannabis may remain on the breath for two ... Read More »

Tennessee DUI clients often inquire about how to procure an official copy of one’s driving history.  This document will show all moving traffic violations for the past three years. Offenses of relevant concern include Driving Under the Influence of an Intoxicant, Driving on a Revoked Driver’s License or Driving on a Suspended Driver’s License. This report is particularly helpful if a client is unaware of the outstanding moving traffic violations or other unpaid citations that have resulted in the suspension ... Read More »

According to an article published in Prosperous, a team from the University of Pittsburgh, including Dr. Ervin Sejdic, has created a breath testing device that can trace levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a person’s breath. THC is the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects. These researchers developed it through the use of carbon nanotubes, which are miniscule tubes of carbon 100,000x tinier than a human hair. According to this news article, the cannabinoid THC as well as other ... Read More »

Substantiating British research from many years ago, a car crash study reported on May 20, 2019 in the online version of the journal Addiction, found no statistically significant relationship between drivers testing positive for Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or other drugs and those who did not in contributing to a motor vehicle collisions. The study was based on 3005 injured drivers and police reports on 2318.  In particular, the findings found no statistically significant relationship between testing positive for THC and the risk ... Read More »

Have you ever wondered whether a police officer needs to request a search warrant when attempting to obtain a blood sample from an unconscious suspected drunk driver?  The United States Supreme Court recently answered that question.  The Court agreed that there is no question that our Fourth Amendment constitutional right against unreasonable searches and seizures applies when blood is taken from the body of a person suspected of driving under the influence (DUI, DWI, or OUI). However, the Court was ... Read More »