Ministry to roll out saliva drug test kitsBy Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNAThe Ministry of Education yesterday unveiled plans to introduce saliva drug test kits to stop synthetic drug use in schools. Faster-acting saliva tests are needed to detect etomidate and other narcotics that metabolize too quickly for urine tests to detect, Hsu said. The ministry estimates that schools would need 20,000 saliva test kits, which are capable of detecting eight types of drugs, she said. Guidance counselors and military instructors would be the main personnel tasked with using the test kits, she said. The ministry is pressing lawmakers to pass amendments that would allow schools and police greater latitude to test underage people for drug use, Hsu said.
