roadside testing act

The ball is starting to roll and any future Marijuana test will probably fall into line with the SA's cut offs of 5ng/ml.

There is only one test that provides these levels of THC cut offs and that's Oraline or the new generation roadside test, due to be released shortly.


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ACT considers roadside drug testing
Posted 1 hour 25 minutes ago
Updated 1 hour 3 minutes ago

Map: Canberra 2600
Canberrans are being encouraged to have their say on the issue of roadside drug testing.

The ACT Government will introduce a discussion paper on the issue next month.

It has been closely watching the experiences of other jurisdictions already using the drug detection method.

Minister for Municipal Services John Hargreaves says one of the challenges is deciding whether or not to make ACT rules consistent with those in New South Wales, where there is a zero-tolerance policy around marijuana use.

"We need to make sure that the people of the ACT - where we have a harm minimisation approach to drug use - are treated in the same way at law as the other people in the ACT and not necessarily in the way that people are treated in New South Wales," he said.

Mr Hargreaves says the discussion paper will address the challenges of testing drivers for drug use.

"We need to make sure that in roadside testing that the pathology testing is efficacious at court so that if we do a charge we can proceed to conviction," he said.

"We need to also make sure that the invasive techniques that are used on the roadside do not infringe other peoples rights and privileges under our human rights act."

The ACT Opposition will today table its own bill for roadside drug testing.

Liberal MLA Steve Pratt says Government delays in supporting legislation has allowed drug affected motorists to drive with impunity.

"It does mask three years of neglect by this Government given the evidence has been very clearly available since 2005 about the growing incidence of drug affected driving," he said.

Tags: states-and-territories, drug-offences, act, canberra-2600