Brazil widens market for drug-of-abuse IVDs with new legislation
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Brazil’s lower house has passed draft legislation that promises to introduce widespread roadside testing of drivers for alcohol and drugs. Bill 5607/09, which will now go to the Senate for approval, has strong support from the health ministry, given the scale of the problem in terms of A&E and hospitalisation costs. In 2011, 155,000 hospitalisations were caused by traffic accidents – in which alcohol or drugs are thought to play a significant part. The cost to A&E services alone was R$200m (US$108m), claims the health ministry.