DRUG-DRIVING TEST FAILS PUBLIC EXAM

Francis paul doesn't look like she is stoned - but a test she failed
says otherwise.

The 76-year-old Rotorua woman doesn't smoke cannabis or take any
illegal substances - but she does suffer from arthritis, which caused
her to fail a mock drug test conducted by the Daily Post yesterday.

The test, based on one police propose to use from next year on
drivers they suspect have used drugs, included walking a straight
line, balancing with eyes shut and a time test.

More than half the people tested in the unofficial survey failed the
simple walk and balance tests.

And they say they weren't under the influence.

Rotorua police say that with the number of drug-affected drivers on
the increase, the new test is a positive move.

They say anything to get such drivers off the road is a good thing.

When the new regime is introduced by police, drivers who fail will be
required to give a blood sample, something police may currently not demand.

Because of her medical condition Mrs Paul is unable to walk a
straight line and was unable to stop herself swaying while balancing
with her eyes closed.

She said the test was inadequate and would encroach on people's right
to privacy.

She fears the wrong people could be targeted by the impairment tests.

"I don't think they should do it unless these people are behaving
really badly on our streets and driving dangerously. It's a breach of
privacy to do this.

"What if people have a medical condition or are elderly and fail this test?"

Kawerau's Lyall White said she didn't think that people with medical
issues who failed the test would be penalised.

"All they need is to carry a letter from their doctor saying what
medication they are on and what they have wrong with them. I'm sure
the traffic people will be aware of these sort of things. They have
do something to make our roads safer."

Rotorua teenager Syretta Waikato-Witoko admits to being in a car
driven by other young people who have smoked drugs and doesn't think
it's an issue.

"It's people's individual choice if they want to drive stoned. They
drive more cautiously because they are stoned. It's better than drunk
driving and not knowing what they are doing," she told the Daily Post.

Police National Headquarters Superintendent Dave Cliff said the
impairment test had a lower threshold than the existing test, which
measured whether a driver was "incapable of proper control".

Random tests will not be carried out and the roadside drug test is
not compulsory under present law.

Rotorua Inspector Steve Bullock said Rotorua police welcomed the move
with the problem of drug-affected drivers escalating throughout the country.

"Right across the board drug-impaired drivers are on the increase now
that there are a lot more different drugs out there on the market. I
am confident that, like any other city or large town, there are a
number of drivers on our roads who use recreational drugs. If you
take anything that impairs your concentration or focus then you
shouldn't be driving," he said.

Police were committed to making the roads safer for all motorists, Mr
Bullock said.

"Our main focus is to make our roads safe for everybody so nobody
gets injured or killed."

People concerned they may be mistakenly identified as under the
influence need not worry.

"It is very in-depth screening, and prescription drugs will be picked
up. It's quite simple really. If you have taken drugs, don't drive on
our roads," he said.

Professor Douglas Sellman, from the National Addiction Centre of
Psychological Medicine, said the move was a positive one but feared
the tests may catch the wrong people out.

"It's cognitive testing which may catch some older people out who
have health issues.

"Both alcohol and drugs affect young people differently than older people.

"Studies show that if you give a 16-year-old six standard drinks, you
get more harm compared to a 26-year-old," he said.