What do drug recognition techniques provide information about?

Drug recognition techniques are designed to identify whether an individual is currently under the influence of drugs at the time of evaluation. These techniques involve a series of methods and observations that assess an individual's physical and behavioral signs, including their coordination, pupil responses, and overall physical appearance. The techniques aim to detect the immediate effects and impairment caused by substances, providing insight into current or recent drug use.

This focuses primarily on how drugs affect an individual at that moment rather than long-term usage or predicting future use. For instance, while someone with a history of substance use might exhibit signs of impairment, the techniques are not intended to gauge patterns of drug use over time or make forecasts about future behavior. Therefore, the information gathered is specifically relevant to the user's current state, making this the most accurate understanding of what drug recognition techniques provide.