Mr. Katsambanis asked about the number of roadside drug tests conducted and the number of positive results, broken down by month, for the periods 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20. The WA Police Force provided the requested data.

AnsweredQoN 5629Legislative Assembly
Asked
15 October 2019
Portfolio
Police; Road Safety

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to random roadside drug tests, and ask: (a) How many random roadside drug tests were conducted in each month from 2017-18 and 2018-19; (b) How many random roadside drug tests have been conducted in each month to date in 2019-20.; (c) How many random roadside drug tests were positive in each month from 2017-18 and 2018-19; and (d) How many random roadside drug tests were positive in each month to date in 2019-20?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
26 November 2019
Responded by
Minister for Police; Road Safety
Response time
12 days
The Western Australian Police Force advise:
The number of drug tests conducted on drivers was 30 986 in 2015/16; 34 523 in 2016/17;
37 780 in 2017/18 and 40 544 in 2018/19.
(a) Monthly totals of drug tests 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018 (inclusive).
Month                         Preliminary Drug Tests
July 2017                                2 200
Aug 2017                                2 906
September 2017                      2 985
October 2017                          3 676
November 2017                       4 010
December 2017                        3 256
January 2018                           2 974
February 2018                         3 544
March 2018                             4 213
April 2018                               2 580
May 2018                                3 856
Jun 2018                                 1 580
July 2018                                3 223
August 2018                            3 260
September 2018                      3 746
October 2018                          3 693
November 2018                       4 051
December 2018                       3 579
January 2019                          3 384
February 2019                         3 069
March 2019                             3 141
April 2019                               3 879
May 2019                                2 809
June 2019                               2 710
b) Monthly totals of drug tests from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 (inclusive).
Month                         Preliminary Drug Tests
July 2019                                1,864
August 2019                            3,720
September 2019                      3,241
c) Monthly totals of positive drug tests 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018 (inclusive).
Month                         Positive Preliminary Drug Tests
July 2017                                276
August 2017                            358
September 2017                      310
October 2017                          332
November 2017                       334
December 2017                       339
January 2018                          344
February 2018                         375
March 2018                             445
April 2018                               339
May 2018                                322
June 2018                               251
July 2018                                383
August 2018                            520
September 2018                      462
October 2018                          461
November 2018                      452
December 2018                       453
January 2019                           381
February 2019                         332
March 2019                             366
April 2019                               431
May 2019                                395
June 2019                                322
d) Monthly totals of drug tests and positive tests from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 (inclusive).
Month                         Positive Preliminary Drug Tests
July 2019                                475
August 2019                            463
September 2019                      447
Statistics are provisional and subject to revision. Preliminary drug tests are used as identifiers for further evidentiary testing (secondary tests and then ChemCentre WA analysis tests) which forms the evidentiary basis of preferring a charge for driving with a prescribed illicit drug. Not all positive preliminary tests will result in positive results for secondary tests or ChemCentre WA analysis.

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