Powdered heroin is pictured in this undated handout photo courtesy of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
Powdered heroin is pictured in this undated handout photo courtesy of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. U Reuters/US DEA/Handout via Reu

Ireland has come up with a set of new drug driving tests for drivers for all kinds of drugs. More stringent than the existing ones, the new tests will carry a penalty of €5,000 (AU$7592.44) fine or six months in prison.

Under the existing law, motorists who use drugs can be prosecuted only if their driving is impaired, according to the Independent.IE.

Under the new law, motorists will have to undertake the initial saliva test followed by a blood test in case of positive indications for the presence of drugs. This will help detect cannabis, which can remain in the human system for up to a week after consumption, says the Independent.IE.

Ireland’s cabinet approved the new road traffic laws on Tuesday, allowing gardaí (Ireland’s police force) to take samples from motorists to test for traces of cannabis, heroin or cocaine in the blood.

The Irish Examiner reports that the limit over which motorists will be prosecuted under new laws would depend on the drug. Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe said that those with cannabis in their system will face charges — even if the detection is due to lingering residual traces.

The new tests were prompted by the increasing number of road accident deaths in the country. According to Donohoe, in the last 10 years, 10 percent of the people who died on Irish roads were found to have drugs in their system.

“Out of that 10 percent of people, between 60 percent and 70 percent of them had cannabis in their system,” the minister told RTE’s Morning Ireland. “What we are now doing is bringing into line our body of law in road law in relation to alcohol to make that completely consistent now with drug testing.”

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