About 2.6% of drivers who tested positive for drugs in roadside checks in northeastern France over 32 months (2020–2023) had ketamine in their oral fluid. Among 88 ketamine-positive drivers, 80.7% were male, 95.4% used multiple drugs, and their average age was 27.5 years. Ketamine concentrations averaged 821 ng/mL when norketamine was also present and 7.8 ng/mL when it was absent. Roughly 26% of ketamine-positive drivers had oral fluid levels potentially linked to impaired driving. The authors suggest adding ketamine and norketamine to routine oral fluid drug testing for driving under the influence.
Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a substance with effects similar to THC, was detected in oral fluid samples from drivers in France after being classified as a narcotic in June 2023. Among 867 samples collected through December 2023, 16 were positive for HHC, all from male drivers aged 19 to 58. HHC always appeared alongside THC, with mean HHC concentration 35 ng/mL and median 10 ng/mL. In 11 cases with high THC-to-HHC ratios, impaired alertness likely resulted mainly from THC, and a linear correlation between THC and HHC concentrations was observed. The findings suggest HHC use may be spreading in the general population.