The Robert F. Borkenstein Course On The Effects Of Drugs On Human Performance And Behavior
The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education will host the 2012 Robert F. Borkenstein Course on the Effects of Drugs on Human Performance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This joint venture with the Borkenstein Course will bring this valuable training to students in the Northeast and elsewhere who have not previously been able to attend the program in Indiana. While matching the atmosphere of Bloomington is difficult, this wonderful venue fits the bill, located in old city Philadelphia a five minute walk from Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, and the Constitution Center.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DATES FOR THE 2012 BORKENSTEIN DRUG COURSE HAVE CHANGED. The 2012 Borkenstein Drug Course will now be held Monday, October 1st through Friday, October 5th, 2012. We have come to this decision in order to guarantee our students the best possible accomodations rates with local hotels. For information about hotel rates, and how to make a reservation, click here. The course will still begin on Monday morning and conclude at noon on Friday, and the schedule and course content has not changed. For questions or comments, please contact Katherine Sas at katherine.sas@frfoundation.org or 215-366-1591.
When: October 1-5, 2012
Registration is now open! Click here to apply.
Click here for tuition, travel and lodging information.
Download the 2012 Drug Course Brochure here.
We are pleased to welcome back our regular Borkenstein Drug Course faculty as well as several guest speakers. Faculty information coming soon.
The Borkenstein Drug Course covers topics related to the pharmacology of drugs and their effects on psychomotor performance and driving. This program has been growing in popularity since it was started in 2002, and has drawn attendees from more than forty states. We have responded to student feedback on the course content and have added lactures on “Bath Salts” and synthetic cannabinoids on driving performance and field sobriety tests. The 2012 course will also include an overview of psychometric tests of human factors and abilities that make up the five “domains” of cognitive and psychomotor skills needed for safe driving In addition the course now features expanded time for discussion of best practices for analytical laboratories, accreditation and scope of testing. The class will feature the latest information on practices for scope and sensitivity of testing in DUID cases, surveyed by the National Safety Council. This course was originally established to provide professional development training for toxicologists and has been grown to recognize and reflect the relationship between the DRE program and the laboratories that support them. It has also been attended by DRE officers and other highway safety professionals. Also returning this year is a lecture by DUI defense attorney Todd Landgren on what expert witnesses can expect to face from the defense when testifying in DUID cases.
Drug impaired driving is now being recognized as a major public safety issue worldwide. Drug use among fatally injured drivers in the US is estimated to be around 40-50%, and combined drug and alcohol use is the often overlooked part of the iceberg, as alcohol positive cases are infrequently assessed for drug use.
There are major developments taking place around the world to document and combat drug impaired driving. Just as it did with alcohol impaired driving, Indiana University’s Center for Studies of Law in Action has become a major center for collecting and sharing research and innovative strategies for dealing with this problem. In April 2012, the Center for Studies of Law in Action will present its tenth symposium on the effects of drugs on human performance and behavior supported by the staff of the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, a program of the Fredric Rieders Family Renaissance Foundation.
The program is designed to supplement the training offered by other groups such as SOFT and AAFS, with ideas and strategies for enforcement, and for documenting and trying drug impaired driving cases. The Course is structured to meet the needs of:
- Analytical toxicologists performing testing for DUID investigations.
- Toxicologists testifying in court on drug and alcohol impaired driving.
- Public safety specialists involved in developing policies and statutes to respond to drug impaired driving.
The course is taught using the successful Borkenstein Alcohol Course classroom format that provides excellent opportunities for networking, student/student and student/faculty interaction during the breaks and after-hour’s social functions, and more individual attention to student questions.
COURSE CONTENTS
In an effort to keep toxicologists, and traffic safety specialists up to date, this course has evolved over the ten years it has been offered. Information addressed in the 2012 course includes:
- Roadside drug testing surveys using checkpoints, and oral fluid testing
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Basic principles of pharmacology and relationship to drug effects on behavior and physiology
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Expected effects from newly emerging designer drugs – “Bath Salts” and incense products
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On-road driving studies for marijuana, MDMA, and antidepressants
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Training tools for investigating and documenting drug impairment
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Approaches to presenting DUID evidence in court
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Strategies used by the defense for cross examination of state witnesses
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Updated summaries of effects of major drug classes present in drivers
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Effects of lorazepam and alprazolam on driving
- Effective use of Pubmed, Toxline, and on-line forensic databases for literature surveys and case preparation
The Borkenstein Drug Course begins with a brief orientation to the Course by Center Executive Director, Dr. Barry Logan and Borkenstein Course Manager, Mr. Joe Turner.
The schedule will be available from the Center shortly before each class begins.
- Click here for more information on The Robert F. Borkenstein Courses on Alcohol and Drugs, and the Center for Studies of Law in Action.
- Click here to learn more about the Drug Course Faculty.
- Click here for information on Tuition, Travel and Lodging.