From 2018 to 2020, having your car flagged down in Republic, Washington was likely to land you a trip to jail. Republic police would call for Karma, a drug detection dog who detected drugs 100 percent of the time, regardless of the presence of drugs. Although he was likely trying to appease his human handlers, he and many other drug detection dogs played a part in the seizure of innocent people’s assets – the dogs provide the authorities with ‘probable cause’. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
