1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: Back home and roadside drug testing starts from today. The 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: pilot program kicks off in Wellington with the aim of 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: it going countrywide mid next year, so officers can do 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: random roadside SALIVI tests. They're screening for cannabis, meth MDMA 5 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: and cocaine MDMA by the way, ecstasy known as by 6 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: some people. Steve what is the Police Association president and 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: he joins you now come on in to you, Steve. 8 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,640 Speaker 2: What are you ready to go? Ready to go? 9 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: How does it work? 10 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 2: Look? Quite simply, it's a four stage process. The first 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,280 Speaker 2: step in the process is taking a swarm from the 12 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 2: top of the tongue that either gives you a positive 13 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,239 Speaker 2: result or a negative result from there. If it's a 14 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 2: positive result, you move on to stage two, where again 15 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 2: another strip's placed underneath your tongue. It is a sample strip, 16 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 2: so that sample strip is held and then you complete 17 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 2: a third test again that swave of the tongue and 18 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 2: a FED is positive. The sample test gets sent to 19 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 2: WAG for analysis that ESR and it has to be 20 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 2: matched against a prescribed limit for the drug, and if 21 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,800 Speaker 2: you're above that prescribed limit, you'll be issued with an 22 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 2: infringement notice. 23 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,919 Speaker 1: So it's a much longer process than with drink testing 24 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: drink drive testing, which we're at home with it, and 25 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: we understand as well. Will it be as effective and 26 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: will there be false positives and all those sort of 27 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: concerns that people have had beforehand, It. 28 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 2: Will be an effective measure. What we've got to bear 29 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: in mind is that thirty three percent of all fer 30 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 2: atal crasis between twenty nineteen and twenty twenty three involved drugs, 31 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 2: So this is a welcome measure. It's not going to 32 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 2: be as long or prescribed as perhaps you know, a 33 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 2: four step process. As I outline, those steps are quite 34 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 2: quick to work through, but it certainly will take a 35 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 2: little bit longer than the alcohol testing currently does. 36 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: Okay, will this mean more work for officers? 37 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 2: Look at it as an extra step that is more 38 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 2: work for officers. But what we've got to remember is 39 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 2: that we want to get everyone home safe. So every 40 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 2: officer out there is all about safety within the community, 41 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 2: and this is another tool in which to utilize in 42 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 2: order to get those people home safe on the road. 43 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: And speaking of which, when it came to the testing 44 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: and getting people home safe, there was some debate about 45 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:25,360 Speaker 1: whether impairment is being effectively measured. In other words, some people, 46 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: some people are impaired, even though they might not actually 47 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,519 Speaker 1: trigger over the test. It hasn't been progressed on knowing 48 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: whether the test will show impairment. 49 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: Look, the test in itself will not show impairment. But 50 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 2: what police have in their toolcit is c testing. That 51 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:49,120 Speaker 2: is another test outside of the oral fluid testing, which 52 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 2: people will have to go through a number of steps, 53 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 2: and does show impairment for drugs. So it's really important 54 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 2: to sort of distinguish between the two and that that 55 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 2: is a process in order to an appairment when it 56 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 2: comes to drugs. 57 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: And should people who are on heavy prescriptions be concerned. 58 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 2: No, I don't think so. In reality, there are methods 59 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 2: in there that if you are on prescribe drugs and 60 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 2: you do go over that prescribe limit, once your test 61 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 2: has been sent away and analyzed, there is a step 62 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 2: to tree defense for those that are on medical drugs 63 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 2: to rite away to police and explain that all. 64 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: Right, very good stuff, Steve. What a lot of work 65 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: has been done beforehand, It'll be a lot of work 66 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: going forward. 67 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 2: For more from Earlily Edition with Ryan Bridge, Listen live 68 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 2: to news talks it be from five am weekdays, or 69 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 2: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.