Drug driving overtakes drink driving

The number of people caught driving while on drugs in Cork has now surpassed those caught driving while drunk according to a new garda report.

The startling numbers were revealed at a Joint Policing Committee meeting (JPC) on Monday by Chief Superintendent Con Cadogan.

Supt Cadogan confirmed that during the first four months of 2021, a total of 99 detections of drug driving were made across all three divisions, Cork City, Cork North and Cork West.

During that same period, 95 drink driving detections were made by gardaí.

However, Supt Cadogan said he was not surprised by the figures and said it was largely due to comprehensive garda training and increased testing at checkpoints.

“The detection for drugs is after increasing significantly and drug detection now has surpassed drink at this stage. The legislation which we do our drug testing under is has been of significant help to us and our members are all fully up to speed with it and well trained,” he said.

Overall, the report showed a significant decrease in driving while intoxicated offenses compared to the first four months of 2020 with 87 fewer detections.

Drunkenness offences were also down since last year with 74 less instances reported in 2021.

In contrast, drug possession for both sale and personal use saw significant increases in all three divisions this year.

In Cork city alone, possession of drugs for personal use almost doubled since this time last year, soaring from 286 in 2020 to 535 in 2021, an increase of 249.

Instances of possession of drugs for sale or supply in the city rose by 58 from 79 to 137.

TD for Cork North-Central Thomas Gould (Sinn Féin) said the new numbers surrounding drug offences, and especially drug driving offenses, were very worrying.

“The amount of people found to be intoxicated on drugs rather than alcohol. That’s very concerning,” he said.

On 13 April 2017, the drug driving provisions of the Road Traffic Act 2016 came into effect giving gardaí the power to conduct roadside drug tests.

Drug testing devices test saliva for cannabis, cocaine, opiates and benzodiazepines and it is an offence to refuse to provide a saliva sample to gardaí.

If convicted of drug driving, the minimum disqualification on a first offence is four years and six years for a second or subsequent offence.

For more information on drug driving laws in Ireland, visit rsa.ie.