druginfluencesignsandsymptomschecklist

Drug Influence Sign & Symptom Check List

Drug Influence Sign and Symptom Checklist:

For the Officer and Investigator

Thomas E. Page

The following questions may be used by the officer or investigator to elicit evidence of drug use and/or drug influence. (Laboratory analyses and their results have not been included.)

The interpretation of the indicators should be done by a trained Drug Recognition Expert or medical professional. The indicators are categorized into the following areas: Face, Eyes, Speech, Odors, Skin, Clothes, Behavior, Vital Signs, Other.

Face:

Anything unusual in overall appearance of face?
Sweating?
Dry face?
Flushed?
Grimacing?
Rigid facial muscles?
Grinding teeth?
Quick movements?
Looking back and forth?
Looking up and/or down?
Shielding face with hands?
Nodding at the neck (on the nod)?
Sleepy appearance?
Aroused easily?
Hyper-alert appearance?
Excessive vigilance?
Biting lip?
Dry lips?
Chapped lips?
Sniffling?
Substances (powder, leafy substance, residue) on face?
Burn marks on lips?

Eyes:

Anything unusual in overall appearance of eyes?
Approximate pupil size?
How did diameter of pupils compare to the width of iris?
How did diameter of pupils compare to others?
Pupils approximately equal?
- In what light levels?
Did pupils change in response to light?
Did pupils change in response to dark?
Dilated (excessively large) pupils?
Constricted (excessively small) pupils?
Did pupils change in response to viewing an object (accommodation)?
Was an artificial light source, such as penlight, used?
Was a pupilometer used?
Anything unusual in the sclera (whites of the eyes)?
Was sclera clear?
Bloodshot?
- Blood vessels visible
- Pinkish coloring
- Conjunctival injection?
Both eyes the same?
Watery appearance?
Excessive dryness?
Glassy appearance?
Excessive blinking?
Diminished blinking?
Eyelid tremors?
Staring inappropriately?
Averting eye contact?
“Thousand yard” stare?
Eye movements:
- Able to follow stimulus?
- Both eyes?
- Visible nystagmus?
  - Gaze evoked?
  - Smooth pursuit?
  - At maximum deviation?
  - Any angle?
  - Vertical nystagmus
- Convergence?
- Anything else unusual?
Eyelids:
- Droopy?
  - Covering part of pupil?
  - Both eyes?
- Retracted?
  - White visible all around eye?

Speech:

Anything unusual?
Incomplete sentences?
Rambling?
Repetitive?
Slow?
Slurred?
Excessively loud?
Excessively low volume?
Fast?
Extremely talkative?
Clear?
Raspy?
Steady pace?
Responsive to questions?
Appropriate questions, comments?
Bizarre?
Reporting hallucinations?
Reporting delusions?
Singing?

Odors:

Anything unusual?
Smoke smell?
Alcoholic beverage?
Marijuana smell?
- Similar to burning rope
Chemical-type smell?
Ether smell?
Vomit?
Other bodily fluids?
On breath?
On clothes?
Concealment odors, such as mints, breath spray?

Skin:

Burn marks on hands, fingers?
Injection marks?
- Location on body?
  - Inner arms
  - Top of hands
  - Ankles?
  - Neck?
  - Other?
- Over vein?
- Intramuscular?
- Subcutaneous?
- Fresh blood?
- Other fluids?
- Old scarring?
Shivering?
Goose Bumps?
Hot to touch?

Clothes:

Unusual stains?
Odors?
Debris?
Plant material?
Excessive perspiration?

Behavior:

Anything unusual about gait?
Staggering?
Coordination problems?
Balance problems?
Rigid movements?
Tremors?
Rigid skeletal muscle tone?
Flaccid muscle tone?
Fidgety?
Cracking knuckles?
Tapping feet constantly?
Excessive sleepiness?
Hyper-alert?
Hyper-vigilance?
Cooperative?
Itching?
- Around face?
- Around neck?
- Other?
Inappropriate laughter?
Inappropriate crying?
Fighting?
Hysterical?
Mood changes?
Cyclical behavior?
Aggressive?
Lackadaisical?
Lethargic?
Withdrawn?
Secretive?
Fast movements?
Slow movements?
Depth perception problem?
Time perception problem?

Vitals:

Pulse rate?
Blood pressure?
Temperature?
Respirations?

Other:

Vomiting?
Forgetful?
Confused/distracted?
Oriented to time?
Oriented to place?
Oriented to circumstances?
Hot to touch?
Drugs in possession?
Drug use paraphernalia?
Vials?
Drug residue?
- Powders?
- Plant material?
- Other?