Peterpack

Serious question

Not an illegal drug, just wondering if sniffer dogs will detect these drugs in your checked in luggage ?

pewpew

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It's a tough question, but I want to say no. They're trained for specific scents, there's no general "medicine" scent afaik

FliesWay2Much

Are you flying internationally or domestically? If you are flying domestically, the TSA can harass you if they want, but that's about it. The TSA is more concerned about making up reasons to search luggage to find pot. "I think I saw something..." is all the probable cause they need.

My urologist told me that the generic forms of common ED drugs are readily sold overseas for far less than the name-brands sell here in the U.S.. Since they are not authorized for sale in the U.S., they cannot be legally imported. The Pfizers of the world would love to train dogs to find the generic brands of their high-priced name brands. Just don't act nervous and you'll be just fine.

Peterpack

Both International (coming in and out of USA) and domestically within the USA

thanks for the note about generic brands

I have a proper prescription and if you think it helps bringing the proper branded stuff over the generic brands then that's a good tip

SeriouslyLost

They should be in sealed containers (blister packs, usually) as they have to be protected from moisture, so the chance of dogs detecting them is exactly zero. I've never once had US Customs show any interest in various drugs (generics and branded) I've brought back to the US, or the stuff I've mail-ordered into the US.

Peterpack

Thanks for the tip

Don't people put illegal drugs in sealed containers ?

Section 107

the dogs are trained to detect specific chemicals not chemicals in general. most dogs are trained for explosives and lesser number for prohibited narcotics/marijuana with an even lesser number trained for agricultural products.

you have little to worry about. but if you act worried then you are setting yourself up to be selected for enhanced screening. So, please try to not exhibit signs of nervousness and you will be just fine.

SeriouslyLost

I know a couple of people who work Customs in NZ and Japan and they all (both of them! ) say that's it's surprising how badly packed drugs usually are or how often people must handle the drugs and then handle their baggage. Generics in blister packs simply won't be picked up by drugs dogs. Mind you, remember that drug dogs are pretty rare at airports. I'm told that dogs are usually trained for explosives or fruit/veges at airports.

Let's be honest though: crims usually aren't the brightest of people.

JohnnyColombia

I am minded to think that dogs are trained to alert completely randomly. They pick me up whenever I go through IAH.

Sadly the handlers don't seem to understand their dogs are broken, so the debate can become somewhat protracted and the only way I have found to stop the fruitless back and forth is to invite them to go through my luggage.

To that end, whether you have Viagra or Cialis is immaterial, although the dogs might not alert to those meds, they may bark at your socks or something. Just let the guy go through your luggage if he wants.

pewpew

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They're trained to alert when the handler wants them to

JohnnyColombia

Call us both cynical but that would make perfect sense to me. The conversation always goes along the lines of "the dogs don't lie, if it alerted then you have something." They say this repeatedly expecting you to back down and sing like a canary.

Invite them to go through your luggage and their faith in the dog evaporates.

Handy tips there probably for actual FlyerTalk narcotics smugglers

yandosan

They're trained to alert when the handler wants them to


Yes, yes. Check out the youtube called "Breakfast in Collinsville"
for the video that revealed this fact to the world.

SeriouslyLost

That's not *quite* accurate. They're trained to alert when they smell whatever they've been trained to smell. But, yes, most handlers *can* also cause the dog to alert if they want. That's obviously the thing: trained dogs tend to do as they're told.

exerda

As far as sealed containers, the problem is that in handling the container, sealing it, etc., you will typically transfer some amount of residue onto the container itself. We're talking about detecting very small amounts of residue.


Unless, of course, you popped a pill out of one of the blisters at some point before packing it; that could leave plenty enough residue to be detected. Unopened, probably better, but they've been packed at a factory somewhere, and that factory probably has residue on their robots, too, which could carry over.


Or, as others have said, they alert when their handlers (consciously or otherwise) want them to alert...


Yeah, I had that happen a couple of times recently. The agent was quite insistent I must have forgotten I had some food in my bag, and kept saying I should be "honest" and just disclose it. I kept insisting she was welcome to actually search it and that the dog was alerting on something like, well, dog treats (which I had had in contact with my bag recently). Obviously, I won those arguments, but it was annoying they were so sure I was lying about not having fruit in my bag.

MSPeconomist

Are there countries in the world that forbid a foreigner from importing Viagra/Ciallis with a prescription?