But critics say it is just an excuse to hunt down drug users
By Andria Kades
After almost eight years of discussions, Cyprus will by the end of the month begin carrying out drug tests on drivers – dubbed narcotests – aimed to catch those behind the wheel under the influence of drugs.
Heralded by the government as a preventative measure to reduce road deaths and accidents, it has come about after EU recommendations to make the streets safer, the justice ministry said.
Set to begin on January 25, narcotests have not been warmly welcomed by all members of the public with reactions ranging from concerns on how far back the narcotest can detect if a driver took drugs to others branding the law unconstitutional.
Officers pulling someone over will provide the driver with a strip of cloth to put in their mouth.
According to traffic police deputy chief Haris Evripidou, the narcotest will show positive or negative for five specific drugs – cannabis, opioids, cocaine, amphetamines and metamphetamines.
The initial test will not reveal which drug it has detected, only whether it has found any traces of the above.
If positive, the officer will first ensure the driver does not continue driving – by taking their vehicle to a police station or allowing someone else to drive the car if legally allowed to do so for instance – and a second sample of saliva will be collected and sent to the state laboratory, which will identify which drug has been…
The article Police hail life-saving narcotest was first published on Cyprus Mail.
