Forensic Toxicology

 

The toxicology section provides alcohol and drug testing, interpretation of WSLH results, and court testimony to coroners/medical examiners and law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin. Testing provided to coroners and medical examiners assists these county officials in routine death investigations.

Testing for law enforcement agencies is limited to traffic safety and other motor vehicle matters (boats, ATVs and snowmobiles), in support of Wisconsin’s impaired driving laws (Wisconsin Statute 343.305). The WSLH will not accept samples from non-traffic felony cases–these must be sent to the State Crime Laboratory.

The forensic toxicology section receives about 20,000 specimens annually for alcohol and/or drug testing. Approximately 10% of these specimens are for death investigations. Suitable specimens are as follows:

• For traffic safety testing, blood or urine samples may be analyzed for alcohol content. A blood specimen must be submitted if testing is required for drugs other than alcohol.
• For coroners and/or medical examiners, blood, urine, vitreous humor, gastric contents/pill fragments, bile and liver tissue samples may be analyzed.

Blood / Urine kits are provided free of charge to law enforcement agencies and Coroners / Medical Examiners. Kits may be ordered from our ORDER FORMS.

Released 04/17/2017 Phase I and II Dane County Roadside Oral Fluid 2016 White Paper

Updated 12/07/2016: WSLH Accepting Samples for all Types of OWI cases

 

Inside the Forensic Toxicology Lab Video

 

 

 

Contact Information