Felled for irrigation
Trees cut down to widen ditch
3
Among the worst
Dubious distinction for Massey Tunnel
5
Booting it up
Boot sales return to Boundary Bay
18
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FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014
Job action escalating at schools BY
SANDOR GYARMATI
sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com
PHOTO BY
JESSICA KERR
Dr. Raj Attariwala, a biomedical engineer and nuclear medicine physician in Vancouver, has been working with Ladner’s Kal Malhi to design a marijuana roadside breathalyzer.
Breathalyzer for drugs
Ladner man joins forces with pair of doctors to develop device police can use roadside BY
JESSICA KERR
jkerr@delta-optimist.com
A local man is hoping to give police a new tool to help in the fight again driving under the influence of drugs. Ladner’s Kal Malhi, a retired RCMP officer, has developed a roadside breathalyzer that can test for marijuana. “It’s a very new concept that breath testing can work for drugs,” he said. Malhi got the idea for the Cannabix Breathalyzer while doing some reading on a family trip to India late last year. While waiting at the airport, he came across a study out of Sweden about breath testing technology developed at Karolinska University in Solna.
breath test for alcohol, to test for Marijuana use can currently marijuana use. only be tested through collecting The Swedish study showed that blood, urine or saliva samples, breath samples and police have no could be collected way to positively “It’s hard to prove and sent to a lab determine on the for testing. road that a driver is when somebody’s Malhi took his under the influence high on drugs. The idea and teamed of drugs. up with two doc“It’s hard level of convictions to try and to prove when on drugged driving is tors make it a reality. somebody’s high very low.” Vancouveron drugs,” he Kal Malhi based Dr. Raj said. “The level Attariwala is the of convictions on chief technology drugged driving is officer on the project. He is a very low.” radiologist and nuclear medicine With his extensive policing experience, which included sever- physician with a background in al years with a drug squad, Malhi biomedical engineering. He has worked closely with the breath was inspired to use the Swedish study results to give police a tool, testing technology developed by the Karolinska Institute and similar to a portable roadside
has several other medical device patents. Dr. Bruce Goldberger is also on board as a technical advisor. A professor of toxicology at the University of Florida, Goldberg has done extensive research on forensic toxicology and completed numerous studies on the subject, including analysis of alcohol in breath and the measurement of drugs in biological tissue. The result is the portable Cannabix Breathalyzer. Malhi said it is designed to function like a blood glucose meter, where the breath sample is collected in one component and then is fed into a second part of the device, which tests the sample and gives an immediate result. See DRUGS page 3
Delta schools will be shut down by a province-wide teachers’ strike next week unless a deal is somehow reached over the weekend. B.C. Teachers’ Federation president Jim Iker announced yesterday that notice has been given for a full-scale strike starting Tuesday. Schools won’t be open Monday either as that day as been set as a “study session” by the union. The study session falls under the rotating strike stage of the BCTF’s job action, which has seen schools closed one day a week for the past three weeks. Delta schools were behind picket lines yesterday. Paul Steer Teachers this DTA president week voted 86 per cent in favour of escalating job action as they remain far apart from Victoria on wages and class size and composition. Education Minister Peter Fassbender said the BCTF leadership needs to come to the table with realistic expectations and a willingness to engage in meaningful bargaining. Delta Teachers’ Association president Paul Steer expressed frustration, noting there’s been a lack of any significant movement at the bargaining table. “Where’s the will on the part of all the parties to get this thing done? That’s the frustration.” The Delta school board this week called on both sides to work harder to end the dispute. “We urge both parties to fully commit to the children of this province and achieve a settlement at the bargaining table as quickly as possible to prevent further challenges to the excellent public education offered in British Columbia,” stated a letter by chair Laura Dixon. The province says schools are expected to be open for provincial exams. The Delta school district will provide updates online.