Months of Waiting for Expertise: How Medications Turn Drivers into "Drug Addicts" in Smolyan Region

A systemic problem with the shortage of specialized laboratories and experts is delaying justice in the Smolyan region. One of the sharpest aspects is related to chemical expertise for narcotic substances, which can take between three and seven months.

According to data from the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior – Smolyan, 31 drivers in the region tested positive for drugs last year. The problem is that in nearly half of these cases, subsequent laboratory tests showed that the result was positive due to the intake of medications rather than prohibited substances.

The District Prosecutor of Smolyan, Nedko Simov, emphasizes that due to the small number of laboratories in the country, drivers are left without driving licenses for long periods while their innocence is being proven. The situation is further complicated by the appeal of initial results, which extends the procedure by several more months.

A partial relief from the crisis is expected as early as this month, as a new specialized laboratory in Plovdiv, which will also serve the Smolyan region, is expected to begin operations by the end of the period. This would accelerate the processing of chemical examinations.

In addition to chemical expertise, there is also a serious deficit in automotive and forensic economic expertise. The lack of experts in the region forces judicial authorities to rely on specialists from Plovdiv and Stara Zagora, which leads to a manifold extension of deadlines. According to Prosecutor Simov, resolving this personnel shortage requires intervention at the national level by the executive branch.