Can Antihistamines Affect Polygraph Tracings?

Can Antihistamines Affect Polygraph Tracings?
by: Alton Cantrell

PDD examiners are asking this question with increasing frequency. Antihistamines pose a somewhat unique problem for PDD examiners. The first reason is due to the availability of antihistamines without a prescription. Charts produced by examinees under the known influence of OTC antihistamines have very characteristic tracings which have proven adverse to being scored. The second reason is that a number of prescription and non-prescription "non-drowsy" antihistamines are being marketed which produce charts that have proven to be difficult to score, while producing no adverse, observable behavioral characteristics such as drowsiness, or sedation.

Diversified Educational Services

Diversified Educational Services is dedicated to equipping polygraph examiners with classroom instruction and educational materials which serves to enhance their formal educational training and their practical experience in the administration of polygraph examinations.

Polymedibase is a detailed, current drug database in a significant new offering. Alton Cantrell, a Certified Geriatric Pharmacist who developed this database, is a practicing registered pharmacist who also graduated from a polygraph school (Argenbright Polygraph Institute, 1988, ranked first in his class). His research paper for that school was written on the effects of drugs on polygraph examinations.He has lectured to numerous polygraph groups including the American Polygraph Association and National Polygraph Association's annual conventions. He administered polygraph examinations in the private sector for several years. He is a graduate of the Auburn University School of Pharmacy. He has served as President of the Alabama Associaton of Polygraph Examiners for two years. He currently serves as Adjunct Professor at DACA, Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina, as well as being a regular instructor at the polygraph school administered by the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin, Texas. He has also developed drug databases for computerized polygraph programs.