Roadside Drug Testing (QLD)

DNA may be held
By Richard Finnila
September 18, 2006 12:00am

QUEENSLAND motorists who are tested for drug driving could find their details added to the national DNA database.

The State Government plans to roll out random roadside tests within the next 10 months.

But the details of what police will do with the DNA mouth swabs is yet to be decided.

Police Minister Judy Spence said she was open to the idea of holding the information in a bid to help solve crimes.

"That is not the intention, however the legislation is still being developed," Ms Spence said. "I'm interested in hearing from the community about what they think.

"The DNA database has been successful in cracking unsolved crime."

National president of the Council of Civil Liberties Terry O'Gorman slammed the idea.

"We are totally opposed to swab tests being used for any purpose other than that," Mr O'Gorman said. "If it is used for DNA databank it is sneaky and underhanded."

Mr O'Gorman said libertarians fully supported roadside drug testing, but wanted the DNA evidence deleted from record immediately after use.

"This information should be discarded straight away or quarantined while being used for a court case away from criminal investigators," Mr O'Gorman said.

"It should only be kept specifically for drug driving cases. Queensland has got to make sure it gets this right."

Liberal leader Bruce Flegg said while he supported roadside drug testing, he was not sure the community was ready for random DNA testing.

"Random DNA testing is a big step from drug testing," he said.

"We would need an informed community debate.

"On the surface it could be a crime fighting method, but as we know there are some things that are not so apparent on the surface."

Dr Flegg said he was unsure the community would warm to the idea.

The mouth swab will be able to determine whether a driver has used marijuana within the past two hours, or heroin, cocaine or amphetamines within five hours.

Surveys by insurer AAMI found nearly 25 per cent of young motorists across the state have admitted to driving under the influence of drugs.

Queensland follows Victoria in introducing random drug driving tests.

Victoria police launched the drug detection trial on December 13, 2004, and in the first year tested 10,546 drivers and charged 213 people for driving under the influence of drugs.

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Splatt said:

I have a big feeling because of shitty transport QLD a lot clubbers are going to fall hard. Fuck road side drug testing man. Hundreds will get done on the first night. There is amphetamines in the air up here.

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Drug tests for drivers

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20424622-3102,00.html

By Ainsley Pavey
September 17, 2006 12:00am

QUEENSLAND drivers will face random drug tests from the middle of next year.

Transport Minister Paul Lucas revealed laws were being drafted to enable roadside testing for drugs.

Under the test, a saliva swab could establish whether a driver had used marijuana within two hours, or heroin, cocaine or amphetamines within five hours.

A survey last year by insurer AAMI found almost one-quarter of young Queensland drivers have taken drugs including marijuana, cocaine, speed (amphetamines) and ecstasy before getting behind the wheel.

Mr Lucas said: "Random drug testing on Australia's widest range of drugs will be in place by the middle of next year.

"Legislation is currently being drafted for this important road safety initiative."

But the Government has been attacked by the state's peak motoring body for being slow to introduce drug testing.

Saliva testing of Victorian motorists started two years ago and New South Wales this month will introduce laws to test road users' blood for drugs.

RACQ external affairs manager Gary Fites said Queensland was taking a long time to come up with a suitable test.

"Any delay in any road safety initiative . . . has the potential for loss of life and cause serious injury," Mr Fites said.

"The urgency of it is reflected in the Victorian experience in terms of the incidence of detection of drug drivers, compared with drunk drivers and the reported contribution to the road toll."

In 2003, 31 per cent of drivers killed in Victoria tested positive to drugs other than alcohol.

Victoria has recorded 436 positive drug results after testing 21,000 people, including 6000 truck drivers, since December 2004.

Drug testing there followed a year-long trial that revealed one in 46 drivers tested was found positive for cannabis or amphetamines, compared with one in 250 drink drivers.

Of more than 13,000 tests during the trial, 199 drivers were positive to amphetamines, 19 for cannabis and 69 for both amphetamines and cannabis.

Mr Fites said results were still unknown from a similar test in north Queensland, but it was expected to show the drug-driving rate there was on a par with Victoria.

Queensland's trial began last November, with 2000 participants given legal indemnity and paid $20 to take part in the survey.

Mr Fites said Queensland's overall detection rate for drink drivers already stood at one in 100, higher than in Victoria.

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But I have SERIOUS issues with DNA being kept on file. That's farked! 1984 here we come!

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drink drank drunk said:

that's the dumbest statement i've seen come out of you mate.

brisbane has the best night time public transport in australia.. are late night busses to most city destinations and late night trains to areas outside the city not enough?

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nickyj said:

There is more to QLD than just Brisbane...

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SECRET government testing has revealed one in 25 Queensland drivers is high on drugs behind the wheel.
While preliminary data exposes Queensland roads as minefields full of potentially deadly encounters with drug-affected drivers, the State Government is finishing preparations for next year's first random drug-driving tests.

The shocking data shows motorists are almost four times more likely to test positive to recent use of cannabis, speed or ecstasy than alcohol.

Researchers now believe more people die from drug-driving than drink-driving.

"Having a joint (and driving soon after) can be like having a blood alcohol level of 0.15," said Victoria's Monash University drug-driving expert Olaf Drummer.

"They (drugs) all cause significant impairment. That's why people take them. It changes the way the brain functions," Professor Drummer said.

About 20,000 drivers will be randomly tested in Queensland from next year, in conjunction with conventional random breath testing for alcohol.

Two drug buses and a dedicated team of 24 police officers will target rave parties and other major events.

The new laws and penalties are being fine-tuned but motorists who test positive to drugs can initially expect to be suspended from driving for at least 24 hours and slapped with punishments similar to drink-driving offences.

The Government would not confirm preliminary results taken this year from about 2000 drivers in southeast Queensland who were paid $20 each for their saliva swabs.

Transport Minister Paul Lucas, who is determined to curb a worsening road toll that claims four lives every five days on Queensland roads, said the new tests were specifically designed to reduce fatalities.

"I'm sure the reason the rate of detected drug-driving is about three times or more that of drink-driving is that drivers don't think they will be caught," Mr Lucas said.

"While it is already an offence and people are charged and prosecuted for drug-driving, I expect the concerning rate of drug-driving to reduce substantially as drivers start to realise they could come around the corner in their car at any time and be drug-tested."

He said the results of field testing undertaken by QUT would be released next year.

The drug tests would pick up the presence of illicit substances taken within a few hours.

It would not pick up drugs taken days or weeks earlier.

Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania test for drug-driving.

Police Minister Judy Spence said 40 per cent of drivers in Europe who were involved in fatal crashes had illicit drugs in their system and in Victoria it was 30 per cent.

"Drug drivers in Queensland are playing Russian roulette with other road users," Ms Spence said.

"Drug-driving can put a driver in the death seat, not to mention innocent bystanders and other motorists."

Under the new laws, drivers will be required to provide a saliva sample and if they test positive they will need to provide another one.

A further positive reading will be sent to a laboratory for analysis and, after confirmation, the driver will be charged with drug-driving.

It is understood that if police reasonably suspect there to be drugs in a vehicle, they can search the vehicle.

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NEWS: Courier Mail said:

The drug tests would pick up the presence of illicit substances taken within a few hours.

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trancegirle said:

Quick question;
I was planning on driving say at least 10 hours after having 1 pill. I usually feel the effects of 1 pill for an average of 2 hours. I dont want to drive untill i am okay to drive! What do you think the chances are of being tested positive 10 hours later?
Realise i cant get an exact answer but any opinions would be appreciated

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