Midwest City police captain explains how to tell if person is high on drugs

Huff, investigations division commander for the Midwest City Police Department, taught Oklahoma Department of Human Services employees, along with members of the public, Wednesday how to identify illegal and prescription drugs.

Huff talked about a variety of drugs, ranging from cocaine and meth to toad licking and Jimson weed. He also explained some of the signs and symptoms of a person who is under the influence of drugs.

For example, “nystagmus” is a term used to describe when a person's eyes are shifting quickly back and forth without their control.

This occurs sometimes when someone has taken a variety of drugs, Huff explained. However, there are some rare medical conditions that can cause nystagmus.

“Several drug categories cause this,” Huff said. “If you see this with someone, there's a good chance they're under the influence of something.”

DHS hosted the event to give their employees an opportunity to learn about the types of drugs they might come into contact with when entering people's homes, said Connie Schlittler, the DHS director of planning, research and statistics.

“They want to know, if their clients are using, how to identify it, so this was really a way to increase their skills and knowledge,” she said.