With Christmas, New Year and a few other notable items (like rising interest rates, cost of living pressures and the war in Ukraine) hogging the headlines, here’s one piece of news that you might have missed. Queensland has marked the 15th anniversary of roadside drug testing.
Yes, that’s correct, it’s now over 15 years since Queensland became the fourth state in Australia to introduce roadside drug testing. Incidentally, Victoria was the first state to do so in 2004.
With the milestone passing without fanfare, we thought we’d take the time to look at a few key points of why we should be celebrating this achievement:
- Before roadside drug testing was introduced in Queensland, drivers suspected of being under the influence had to be taken to hospital for a blood sample. Alternatively, the fact that they were under the influence was often discovered in an autopsy.
- When drug testing was first introduced, it took eight minutes to conduct a single test. Now, Queensland Police claim they can test in as little as two minutes.
- Initially, 12 officers were trained to use the equipment and could conduct testing. Today, more than 1100 officers are trained to carry out testing.
- Queensland Police conduct up to 50,000 roadside drug tests each year.
- Shockingly, around one in four tests return a positive result.
Acting Sergeant Ricato from Queensland Police says that for some people, returning a positive result can actually be a critical turning point.
“Police regularly provide referrals to support services for people who wish to make positive changes in their lives.”
How is roadside drug testing carried out in Queensland?
Each state uses different equipment and procedures for their roadside drug testing.
For Queensland Police, it all starts with a driver being stopped because they’re suspected of being under the influence, after a road accident or at a random testing station. Drivers are tested for the presence of cannabis, methylamphetamine and ecstasy.
Testing is carried out initially using a simple tongue swap that can detect the presence of one or more of the three drugs. If this swab is positive, further testing is carried out at the roadside or at a police station using the Drager DrugTest 5000*.
This involves taking another saliva sample, which is split in two. One sample is analysed on the spot using the Drager equipment, while the other is sent to Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services for laboratory analysis.
If the analysis using the Drager DrugTest 5000 is positive, the driver automatically has their licence suspended for 24 hours. This is a safety measure to keep the driver from getting behind the wheel again. Prosecution against drivers who return positive drug test results begin either at the roadside or after the positive result is confirmed by the Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services.
Acting Sergeant Ricato says in a myPolice Queensland Police News article, that roadside drug testing equipment had changed over the past 15 years and so too have the strategies police use to detect drug drivers.
However, the message is still simple. If you take drugs and drive, Queensland Police will catch you.
* NOTE: Integrity Sampling uses the Drager DrugTest 5000 for all its workplace drug testing. Testing accuracy is greater than 99 per cent. Darn good, but not good enough to enforce any consequences, so all positive test results are confirmed by an independent laboratory. Our personnel pioneered saliva drug testing in Australia and implemented it in workplaces in the early 2000s.
FEATURED IMAGE CAPTION:
If you take drugs and drive, who would you rather detect the drugs in your system – Queensland Police or the doctor conducting your autopsy? Credit Highway Patrol Images https://www.flickr.com/photos/special-fx/6656410751/