NSW Police have intensified their efforts to tackle road trauma by targeting drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Following a concerning spike in fatal crashes last month, Operation RAID (Remove All Impaired Drivers) was launched from 8 to 10 May 2025, aiming to detect and deter dangerous behaviour on the roads.
The figures from April are alarming. During the month, 39 people lost their lives in 36 crashes. Of these, four deaths were believed to be alcohol-related and seven drug-related. With the 2025 road toll already reaching 131 – 19 more than the same time last year – police were compelled to act swiftly and visibly.
Intensive drug and alcohol testing was conducted in NSW during Operation RAID. This involved over 109,000 breath tests, which uncovered 132 drink driving offences. A further 6,841 drug tests resulted in 461 positive drug testing results.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner David Driver summed up the intent behind the campaign: “We run these operations to promote road safety, educate drivers, encourage compliance with road rules and reduce loss of life. Whilst we saw the majority of motorists comply with the law during the operation, it was disappointing to see some drivers completely disregard the road rules.”
The operation exposed some shocking examples of reckless behaviour, including high-range drink driving, drug-affected drivers speeding, and disqualified drivers involved in police pursuits. One case involved a driver on the Northern Beaches who allegedly blow 0.143 and returned a positive drug testing for cannabis and cocaine.
Risky drivers may also be risky workers
The message from NSW Police is clear. That is, if you take risks with drugs and alcohol on the road, there will be consequences. But there’s another important consideration here – the behaviours we see on the roads often reflect what’s happening in other parts of life, including workplaces.
If a person is prepared to drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it’s not a stretch to assume they may also turn up to work impaired. And that creates a serious safety issue, especially in high-risk industries like construction, transportation, warehousing, manufacturing and mining. The same impaired judgement, slowed reaction times and lack of focus that lead to road trauma can just as easily lead to workplace incidents.
This is why effective drug and alcohol management in your NSW workplace is essential. Implementing a workplace drug and alcohol policy, providing education, offering support programs and conducting regular drug and alcohol testing are all vital components of a strong safety culture.
Rise in heroin overdoses in NSW
In other drug testing news from NSW comes information that will surprise many. It involves several worrying cases where people have suffered heroin overdoses believing they had taken cocaine or methamphetamines. The cases have forced authorities to issue warnings.
You may ask what the issue and concerns are? After all, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines are all illicit drugs. The main difference is that cocaine and methamphetamines are stimulants, while heroin is a sedative and has the opposite effect. Cocaine and methamphetamine users are often inexperienced with heroin and therefore life-threatening overdoses can occur.
According to The Conversation, the issue isn’t new. In fact, they claim there were 34 cases of opioid overdoses between January 2022 and June 2024, where people thought they were taking stimulants. Tragically, two of the cases resulted in people losing their lives.
It’s suspected that most if not all cases involved heroin. All cases occurred across NSW, with 68 per cent in Sydney.
It’s worth noting these incidents are not isolated to NSW. Cases of heroin being sold as cocaine or methamphetamines have also been reported in other states. Further reminder that if you purchase illicit drugs – or illegally purchase prescribed medicines – you never really know what you’re taking.
FEATURED IMAGE CAPTION:
Over just three days recently, NSW Police conducted more than 109,000 breath tests and 6,800 drug tests across the state as part of Operation RAID. The results? 132 drink driving and 461 drug driving offences detected. Credit Highway Patrol Images https://www.flickr.com/photos/special-fx/8615918244/
