Drivers To Face Drug Testing.

[boulder]

Drivers to face drug testing

 

November 12 2002

By Padraic Murphy

Police Reporter

 

 

Victorian motorists could face random drug testing as early as next year

 

after an alarming increase in the number of road fatalities involving illicit drugs.

 

The Labor and Liberal Parties yesterday both pledged to introduce random drug testing of drivers after the November 30 state election.

 

They promised to act after the publication of figures showing illicit drugs were now implicated in more Victorian road deaths than alcohol.

 

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Ray Shuey said yesterday that 29 per cent of drivers involved in fatal accidents in 2000-01 were drug-affected, up from 25 per cent the previous year. Alcohol was implicated in 22 per cent of deaths.

 

"It is critical, in the same way that we impacted on the culture of Victorian drivers when we brought in drink-driving legislation, that we provide random drug testing as a major deterrent to drivers," Mr Shuey said.

 

 

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Transport

 

Minister Peter Batchelor said legislation for random drug- testing would be introduced in the new year if the government was re-elected. "VicRoads are working through issues to do with equipment and the accuracy of testing, but the legislation will be put up at the next session," he said.

 

Technology being examined by VicRoads would enable police to detect drugs in a saliva sample, mostly collected by a swab, Mr Batchelor said.

 

Opposition transport spokesman Geoff Leigh said the introduction of drug- testing was a priority, and a Liberal government would also consider empowering magistrates to suspend the licences of known drug offenders, regardless of whether they were caught driving while under the influence.

 

Mr Shuey said the rising incidence of "drug-driving" reflected increased drug use in the community. "It just seems we are belting our heads against brick walls trying to reduce the incidence of drinking and driving and drug- impaired driving," he said.

 

Of the 29 per cent of drug-related road deaths, 13.5 per cent involved marijuana, 11.3 per cent heroin or other opiates, 5.1 per cent speed and 2.9 per cent stimulants. Nine per cent involved both drugs and alcohol.

 

Studies have shown marijuana use puts drivers at similar risk to those with blood alcohol readings of between .05 and 0.1 per cent.

 

Mr Shuey said 185 drivers had been charged in Victoria in the past year with driving under the influence of drugs.

 

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/...6308631241.html

[BlackBeauty]

If this was in effect just this weekend, I would have been in a lot of trouble...

 

It's a shame that marijuana is being bundled up under the category of 'illicit drugs'. When's the last time you heard on the news that a criminal or road offender was under the influence of marijuana? It's always the other, harder shit like speed, cocaine, lsd, ecstasy that's at fault, but it seems more convenient for them *not* to differentiate....

[BlackBeauty]

Was just telling my other half about this article and sent it to him too. Seems that we may be making a new year's resolution to stop smoking before/while driving...but any ideas how the mj tests will/may work? How do they work in the US?

 

A cousin had to have a drug test done for a potential job and she was not supposed to touch mj for 3 months prior to doing the test...but i doubt it would work like that for the mj drug tests...well, I hope anyway

[pipeman]

The "by-products" of smoking mj can be present in your system for months. It will be interesting if they test just for being under the influence or for having any traces of mj use at all.

 

personally I don't think they should be wasting money on testing, just give a roadside sobriety test like in the states. If you've got reasonable balance, reflexes, co-ordination and can carry on a coherent conversation that should be good enough IMO. there are more needy areas where the government should be directing our tax dollars.

[Guest Urbanhog]

Couple of years ago back, a mate who was in the Army and supposed to be "Ex-Potsmoker" shared a house with 3 fellow potsmokers, and it was often smokey in the house, and that mate had to do drug test, like most people who serve in the Defense Forces, and they found small traces of cannabis in his system, and he swore that he NEVER touched mj for over 2 years, he cliamed it was from "passive smoking" :: is this possible??

 

Urbanhog

[Brainstorm]

In a way I reckon this is a good move, I think that if we want to have mj legalised or at least decriminilized then the police need a method of testing. I'm not sure of the best method of course, though the sobriety test pipeman mentioned sounds like a good idea.

 

We as smokers need to be just as responsable(sp) as we expect people who drink and drive to be.

 

Urbanhog, I would think it would be possible to get a positive test from passive smoking of mj, it has been claimed as a defence by a couple of footballers in NSW in the last couple of years!!

 

Though I think your mate must have been unlucky or wasn't liked by someone - I spent 14 years in the Army and wasn't tested for drugs and the only ones I know of being tested were all dobbed in for using drugs!! It's been my experience in the Army that they only test if they already suspect you're using.

[boe~pimp]

Urbanhog: of course it's possible, look at the absolute bullshit thats being presented towards passive ciggarette smoking, they can't deny that the same effects are present in passive marijuana smoking, that would be hipocritical! The Australian government .... being hipocritical ? NEVER!

Just look at the availability of pornography, fireworks and leanience of cannabis exclusively in ACT, coincedentaly that's where our politicians live......

 

pipeman: mate i couldn't possibly agree more.

[boulder]

U.S. Plans Breathalyzer-Like Drug Test for Drivers

 

Roadside drug tests modeled after breathalyzers are nearly ready for use in the United States, helping police identify drivers impaired by illegal substances, officials said on Tuesday.

 

National Drug Control Policy Director John Walters said the cheap, on-the-spot tests would hasten the arrest of those driving under the influence of illegal drugs like marijuana or cocaine, as well as alcohol.

 

"Soon officers will have the ability to positively identify someone who is endangering others' lives on the road," he told a news briefing at the National Drug Control Policy office. "This is not something we are powerless to do something about."

 

Walters said the drug tests were in the last stages of trials, but he declined to say when the new devices would be deployed. Similar technology has also been used in pilot tests in Britain and continental Europe.

 

Critics of America's so-called "war on drugs" said the new tests could spur an abuse of power by authorities aiming to crack down on recreational drug users.

 

"The way I understand it, if you have any evidence of the drug in your system you are presumed to be the equivalent of a drunk driver," said Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance in Washington.

 

"We're not talking about a three or four hour window. A urine or blood test could show marijuana if you smoked a joint 10 days ago."

 

While he backed the campaign against impaired driving, Nadelmann said roadside drug tests would require lawmakers to agree on a minimum intoxication level, below which individuals would be free to go.

 

"Treat marijuana and other drugs the way we treat alcohol. Test for real impairment. Test for whether people are under the influence," he said.

 

Nevada resident Gary Thompson, whose wife Sandy was killed at a stoplight by a driver high on marijuana, said strict tests were needed to curb the social acceptability of drugged driving, particularly among young people.

 

"We don't care what people do in the privacy of their own homes, but we do care what they do on our roads," he told the news briefing.

 

"We have to make it possible to prosecute violators after innocent people die."

 

Source: Reuters

 

My thoughts are that we prosecute violators before innocent people die.

No drunk drivers

No Drugged Drivers and that includes Prescription Drugs.

 

Cheers.