If you get pulled over by the police, you may not be worried about a DUI at all. The problem is that it doesn't matter if you think you're sober, if the police think you are impaired, you could be headed to jail. Even if the whole DUI arrest is a mistake, the police don't always give you the opportunity to explain that you are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and they don't always listen to common sense.
Don't let an unreasonable arrest turn into a conviction. Your Atlanta DUI lawyer understands how unreliable urine tests can be, and may consult a medical expert to explain this to a jury. Make sure you have someone who will fight for you, so you can keep your driver's license and your record clean.
The Dangers of Urine Testing in DUI Cases
There are a lot of problems with relying on urine tests in DUI cases. You may have seen the Seinfeld episode where Elaine failed a drug test after eating poppy seed muffins. Of course the show is a comedy, but there may be some real world threats to such a simple act as eating a poppy seed cake or bagel. If you eat poppy seeds, you may end up testing positive for opiates or morphine. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency even suggests avoiding poppy seeds in the time leading up to and during sporting competitions.
It is possible that you end up in court for a DUI based on the police officer's observations that you were impaired, and and the prosecutor holds up positive drug test results just because you ate a poppy seed pastry. Unfortunately, avoiding poppy seeds is not enough, because all kinds of foods and medications can lead to false positive test results.
According to a major pharmacy company's website, a number of prescription and over-the-counter medications can result in false-positive drug test results, including: ibuprofen, cold remedies, hay fever remedies, nasal decongestants, diet pills, sleep aids, and even hemp-based food products.
With all the problems from false positives, and unreliable results from urine tests, you may wonder why police even use urine chemical tests instead of breath or blood tests. One reason is because breath testing is usually only used to test for blood alcohol levels (BAC) instead of drugs. Another reason is that when the police don't have access to blood testing, they may use urine tests to test for the presence of drugs.
Unfortunately, many people don't know that urine tests aren't the best indicator of drug or alcohol impairment. They may think that since the police have a positive urine test, then they can't win their case, and just accept a plea deal. This is why it is important to understand that a positive urine test does not mean that the driver was impaired. If you are concerned about a positive urine test in your DUI case, contact an Atlanta DUI lawyer to learn about possible defenses against urine test DUIs.
Atlanta Drug DUI Lawyer
Urine test results may look official, but their conclusions may be flawed. Just because the urine test say you tested positive for marijuana, opiates or amphetamines does not mean that you were impaired. Positive results do not even mean that you ever even took those drugs. Your Atlanta DUI lawyer understands how urine tests can be wrong, and all the things that can result in false positives. Make sure you fight your DUI charges to keep your driver's license, and keep a conviction off your record. I've successfully defended hundreds of clients facing positive test results. Give me a call, and I will stand up for you in court.