Drug Testing Blog

The ACT Government has unveiled draft legislation to introduce roadside drug testing.

The Legislative Assembly last month gave in principle support to a similar bill put forward by the Liberals.

The Greens agreed to hold of debate on the bill until the Government’s proposal was unveiled.

The Government has been reluctant to support roadside drug testing in the past but released a discussion paper on the issue in March.

It has now put forward its own proposal which Chief Minister Jon Stanhope says will allow police to detect illicit drugs using an oral fluid screening test.

“It also gives police the authority to request a driver to undergo a blood test if they have reasonable grounds to believe the driver is affected by a controlled drug that cannot be detected by the oral fluid screening test,” he said.

“People involved in road accidents will also be required to provide a blood sample for testing.”

The bill is now open for public comment and is expected to be tabled in the Assembly in July.

The facts about drugs and driving in Australia

Drug driving is a major cause of road deaths in Victoria. In 2003, a total of 31 per cent of drivers killed in Victoria tested positive to drugs other than alcohol.
Research shows that a driver who has recently consumed cannabis or an  amphetamine based substance is at the same risk of having a crash as a driver with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.05.  The drug driving campaign is about improving road safety. Legislation prevents the evidence of saliva testing being used in court proceedings for non road safety matters. What effects do THC, MDMA (ecstasy) and methamphetamines have on driving ability?  THC (the active component in cannabis) impairs mental function and reduces attention and concentration on the driving task. THC significantly increases crash risk and affects driving even when there are no outward signs of impairment. Methamphetamines (speed) and MDMA (ecstasy) increase risk taking and aggression, and are often used by drivers to temporarily allow them to continue to drive even though they are too tired to do so safely. How long after consuming illicit drugs can they be detected?  The devices to be used detect THC for several hours after use. This can depend on a number of factors, such as the strength of the cannabis and individual metabolism. Drivers who may have inactive THC residue in their bodies from use in previous days/weeks will not be detected.
Methamphetamines (speed) may be detected for approximately 1 day or more after use. Large doses, other drugs taken at the same time, and differences in individual metabolism may affect the duration of the effects of these drugs.