NSC names 2021 Robert F. Borkenstein Award recipient

Itasca, IL — The Alcohol, Drugs and Impairment Division of the National Safety Council has named Thomas Page the recipient of the 2021 Robert F. Borkenstein Award.

Named for the inventor of the Breathalyzer, the award recognizes individuals who, through a lifetime of service, have made outstanding contributions to the field of alcohol- and drug-related traffic safety. Page, who spent decades working in law enforcement in Detroit and Los Angeles, is being recognized for his work creating, developing and launching drug recognition expert programs to help curb drug-impaired driving.

“Tom’s contributions have changed the entire safety landscape when it comes to impaired driving,” Tracey Scruggs, program manager for awards at NSC, said in a Feb. 10 press release. “Tom gave the law enforcement community an indispensable tool with the advent of DRE programs, and we are honored to recognize him accordingly with the Robert F. Borkenstein Award.”

During his law enforcement career, Page was involved in efficacy studies related to drug recognition expert programs. Since the late 1980s, he has trained new drug recognition experts nationwide, as well as educated and trained various groups on the foundations of the drug recognition expert program, which has evolved into a 12-step evaluation process used all over the world. Page has provided expert testimony in hundreds of court proceedings and developed consultative guidance, which has been published in dozens of publications.