One of my favorite quotes comes from former U.S. President and Five-Star General, Dwight Eisenhower. “Ike” felt that “neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run him over.” This quote is of particular interest for SOFT these days because significant changes in the forensic sciences are a reality of our immediate future. Therefore, it is imperative that we don’t lie down on the tracks, but instead stand up and ensure that those tracks are leading us in the right direction. And this is where the Scientific Working Group for Forensic Toxicology (SWGTOX) plays a key role.

SWGTOX was established by the Forensic Toxicology Council (FTC) in 2010 as a body to help guide the field of forensic toxicology in the right direction. Scientific working groups are not new. In fact, they have been in existence for more than 15 years for most of the other forensic disciplines. Why was the toxicology train late to leave the station and form a SWG? Well this was primarily because of similar efforts already in place within SOFT and our sister organizations. For example, most are familiar with the SOFT/AAFS Forensic Toxicology Laboratory Guidelines that serve as a roadmap for our laboratories to operate. The guidelines help ensure some consistency within our laboratories, yet they were not developed or vetted in a manner that was as thorough as the ways in which the SWGs operate. That is not a suggestion that the guidelines are inadequate or inferior. However, as Eisenhower stated, they are the “tracks of history” and we need to ensure that we continue to improve our field for the future. And SWGTOX is trying to do just that.

The mission of SWGTOX is to develop and disseminate consensus standards for the field of forensic toxicology. This includes creation of minimum standards in our practices, education and training requirements, as well as accreditation and certification. The group has also identified areas where research and development should be focused. Further, the standards that SWGTOX is drafting are meant to apply to both the traditional areas of forensic toxicology, as well as areas that seem to be ignored at times – such as breath alcohol testing and court-mandated testing. Simply put, SWGTOX is laying track over new terrain that will ensure the train of the future leads to our field’s success.

You should know that the membership of SWGTOX is well aware of the influence that the standards will have on our field. Therefore, operating bylaws were developed that ensure that you all have a voice in establishing these standards, regardless if you are a current SWGTOX member or not. Part of the process to move a standard to its “approved” phase is to send the draft document out to the members of SOFT and other related professional organizations for a 60-day comment period. This is your opportunity to voice your suggestions, comments, and opinions before a standard is finalized. In fact, there are a number of SWGTOX documents in this phase, waiting for SOFT members to take advantage of the opportunity to be part of the process and comment on draft documents. Keep in mind that every persuasive comment received during the 60-day comment period must be taken into consideration before a standard is finalized.

To date, there has been just one SWGTOX document that has made it through this thorough, demanding process – the SWGTOX Standard for Developing a Guide and Code of Professional Conduct in Forensic Toxicology. This document requires a professional forensic toxicology organization, such as SOFT, to establish a Code of Professional Conduct, have procedures to enforce the code, and ensure its members understand the code and the procedures of enforcement. That is why we published the SOFT Code of Ethics and the Guiding Principles of Professional Responsibility in the March 2012 issue of ToxTalk and why you will find SOFT’s Ethics Procedures in the current (May 2012) issue.

In closing, I would like to thank you for being a member of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists and I invite you to join us for the annual meeting in Boston this year. Michael Wagner and his team are doing a fabulous job of ensuring we all have a rewarding week. I am really looking forward to celebrating the July 4^th holiday with so many friends, so I hope to see you there.

Marc A. LeBeau, PhD, DABFT
SOFT President
May 2012

• NHTSA has recently prepared a helpful document with links to their Drugged Driving reports, see it here

• Learn more about ForensicTalk.ca, a new forum for Forensic Science practioners by clicking here.

• Join the ongoing Forensic Toxicology discussion at LinkedIn.      

• The Forensic Toxicology Council has released a new document on "What is Forensic Toxicology".