Drug Ion Scanner
Unreliable
By: Edgar Saint George
Editor-in-Chief
Kay Lumas, a surprisingly self-important doctoral candidate,
published a dissertation on the so-called drug "ion
scanners." These are the kinds of gadgets used to harass
visitors to prisons in Pennsylvania and other states. Ms Lumas'
study also deals with the many many false positive results
the scanners produce and a few of the effects that false positives
results may have on victims.
Persons who've been victimized by "scanner" false positives may find parts of the lengthy study interesting. Those who are trying to fight the gadgets or who are suing the makers or users of the machines should find the study helpful. As the machine's makers and users recognize, the ion scanner produces very many false positive results. Ms Lumas' report says that "ninety-one percent [91%] of the positive results, on confirmation, would be found to be false." In other words, almost all positive scanner results are false. Prison systems know it! The gadgets' makers know it. A person victimized by a false positive test result may be able to sue the prison, the prison system and the manufacturer of the machine for the legal injury she or he suffered. A false positive may harm the victim. While a victim may not have grounds for legal action for an illegal search, she/he may have grounds for damages resulting from a false positive test result. It may cause the victim psychological distress, financial loss, employment stigma, inability to visit a loved one and/or other problems. Ms Lumas' study confirms that false "positives can occur with baker's poppy seeds, herbal products, natural body enzymes (i.e. melanin, the natural skin pigment which causes the skin to turn dark can cause false positive for marijuana), and from common medications." [Emphasis added.] While melanin isn't an enzyme, it causes the skin to darken. The study means that Afro-Americans, some Hispanics, American natives and others may test positive for marijuana simply because they are dark! The gadget is racist! The prisons who use the gadget are racist! The study goes on to observe that "there is very little empirical evidence on the efficacy of this technology." In other words, there's little real proof that the gadgets ever actually work. Testing protocol is kept secret by the prisons. They want victims to be ignorant. Manufacturers are equally afraid to reveal the defects in their technology. The study insists that scanners should properly be used only for preliminary screening in a two stage process. Where the scanner produces a positive result, the study asserts that the result must be confirmed by a more reliable and scientifically sound method. The Grievance Committee of the New York prison system concluded that "ion scanners are not valid as the sole basis for excluding a prison visitor because the device can determine neither drug use nor possession." [Emphasis added.] The United States Department of Justice agrees and found that "an innocuous substance such as prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, perfumes, lotions, herbal products, poppy seeds, chlorine baby wipes and gas[oline] fumes can be identified as an illegal narcotic substance." [Emphasis added.] Foods, including caffeine in coffee, tea and chocolate can also produce false positive test results. Ms Lumas explains that for the machines to operate even close to correctly, "the equipment must be calibrated with actual drugs (cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, opiates and PCP) at regular periods" and that "improper maintenance of the equipment can also cause false-positive readings." A common problem is that "a false reading can also occur when [sic] the paper filter from a previous positive reading is inadvertently used on more than one individual." If you are harmed in any way by a false positive result from a drug sniffer gadget with trade names Ionscan or Itemiser, we urge you to sue for damages for the harm done to you psychologically, emotionally, economically, to your dignity, reputation, employability and/or otherwise. If the false positive prohibited you from visiting an imprisoned loved one, your constitutional right of free association was also injured. Neither the prison system or the company can plead ignorance. The gadgets are crap and they know it. In spite of the fact that Ms Lumas' dissertation is badly written and almost painfully dull, with her permission we made it available online to aid prison visitors. As a result of our efforts, a few persons contacted Ms Lumas. Instead of thanking us for helping to publicize her work, the woman whined. She didn't even like the fact that we identified her as "Kay Lumas" instead of "Lumas, Kay." I'm glad the woman doesn't work for me, what a harpy! While her study appears to be accurate and has some value, it's prolix and annoyingly redundant. The author has proven herself to be enamored with her own words. We suggested that she get over herself. The study seems to be accurate, but it's very difficult to wade through. It was prepared for the doctorate program at the second-rate Capella University, not a school known for its discernment. It does, however, contain nuggets which should persuade the courts, lawyers and legislators. Ms Lumas snail-mailed a copy of her dissertation to us. To ensure that the Pennsylvania prison system has no excuse for harming prison visitors with false positive scanner tests, after we scanned the dissertation, we forwarded it to the Secretary of "Corrections." He's really the Secretary of Imprisonment. Correction has nothing to do with it. The Department of Imprisonment is the only state agency which is continually at war with the citizens it's supposed to serve. It's the only state agency which actually tries to harm the citizens. Imprisonment bureaucrats will do almost anything to maintain their dictatorial power.
"Americans panic easily,"
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