Road side drug testing to hit a street near you
New South Wales is the latest state to implement random drug testing for drugs, following the passage of new laws in parliament. Victoria was the first state to implement random testing, Tasmania has similar laws and Queensland and South Australia are considering following suit. The roadside saliva tests will be able to detect cannabis, ecstasy and amphetamines, with offenders facing jail sentences of up to nine months, unlimited licence suspensions and fines of $2200. Professor Steve Allsop, the Director of the National Drug Research Institute says drug-driving is a problem on Australian roads. But forensic scientists Michael Dawson with the University of Technology in Sydney told The Wire that while road-side drug testing is big on political posturing, it fails to address the root of the problem.