Saliva test that can detect marijuana, other drugs is a game changer for DWI enforcement, Long Island police say

Police on Long Island are now using a roadside saliva test that can detect marijuana use and other drugs.

The test system, called SoToxa, takes five minutes and can identify seven types of drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, benzodiazepines, THC and opiates.

Most local police still have no roadside test to determine what drug may be impairing a driver, but Suffolk County Police have rolled out three of the SoToxa devices, calling it a game changer.

"There are people out there in their cars smoking marijuana," Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said. "Our ability to determine that is hampered by the fact that there is no legal level of marijuana intoxication."

In New York, police need to identify the drug a driver has used in order to prosecute.

"If we don't know what exact substance a person is intoxicated with -- it might be marijuana, it might be fentanyl, it might be heroin," Suffolk County Chief Assistant District Attorney Allen Bode said. "We need a test that tells us what they're on."

Since marijuana can stay in a person's system long after the high is gone, critics say this can lead to false positives using SoToxa. Police say they use it with other tools, like sobriety experts and court-ordered blood tests.

SoToxa can't measure the level of impairment like a breathalyzer, but officers say it finally gives them the ability to detect drug use at the roadside.

Suffolk Police say they are also adding marine and highway patrol officers for summer DWI and BWI enforcement, and officials have a warning for anyone who chooses to drive high or drunk.

"Not only will you lose your car, it's unlikely that you'll get it back," Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said. "We'll crush it."

"It's not worth it. It's 2026. Call a rideshare," Bode said.