The Superlative Suppository

A few months back the Broward County School Board considered employing a swab test to tell if their students had come into physical contact with some drugs and at the time I thought little of it with such intrusions being about par for the course with the rights of students. It would seem that the cops over in the UK thought it was a good idea to try this on pub goers:

Officers are [working] with landlords to carry out drug tests on customers using new equipment which can detect up to 200 types of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, cannabis, amphetamine and ecstasy.

"Over the coming weeks any pub customer may find themselves facing the test in Harpenden, St Albans or London Colney," said one officer.

All landlords in the area are being invited to ask for the £35,000 [$63,243.90] testing equipment, called an itemiser.

During a test a special cloth is wiped across the palm of a customer and placed in the itemiser for analysis.

A result comes up within ten seconds.

It costs as much as a luxury car, invades the privacy of people who just want a stiff drink and gives results really fast! Oh boy! How many of those damn, dirty, degenerate drug users does this land in jail?

None:

The itemiser was first trialled in the Beehive in Keyfield Terrace, St Albans, last October.

Of 35 people tested, 21 were found to have been in contact with drugs but none were found to be in possession of them.

The latest initiative was launched in Harpenden on Tuesday when 152 customers of The George pub in High Street were tested as they entered the bar.

Four tested positive for recent contact with illegal substances. Officers searched these people but no one was found to be possessing drugs.

Great so even with all those shake downs you could not turn up one person who was breaking the stupid drug laws? This is a good investment of public money and police time why?