Campaign launched to curb driving under drug influence

By Laxman Poudel,Bhairahawa, June 13: District Traffic Police Rupandehi has started checking the drivers after public complaints increased that the drivers were driving their vehicles under the influence of drugs. The drivers have also been accused of carrying the banned drugs. 

Police have started checking the drivers on the road to find whether they are taking and transporting drugs while driving, said Police Inspector Sakarraj Panta of Rupandehi Traffic Police Office.  

After running a campaign to discourage drunk driving, the police have now initiated an anti-drug driving campaign.  

The new anti-drug initiative, labelled ‘Lapase’ – which is short of ‘Laghu Padartha Sewan’ (drugs consumption in Nepali) – aims to control drug consumption while driving and combat drug smuggling. 

The District Traffic Police Office, in coordination with the local police office and the Narcotic Control Bureau, has launched the road safety campaign to identify drivers under the influence of drugs. 

The police have been conducting checks primarily at the entry points of the Nepal-India border, where drugs are easily available. 

The goal is to ensure that drivers are not putting lives at risk by driving under the influence.

During the checks, the police use a Rapid Multi Drug Test Dip Card (kit) that can screen for six different drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, brown sugar, diazepam, amphetamine, and barbiturates. 

These kits were provided to the traffic police by the Paschimanchal Truck Transport Professionals Committee.

Under the police community partnership programme, the traffic police have been conducting surprise checks on drivers who drive from the Indian border area and other locations. 

Only drivers and riders exhibiting suspicious behaviour are subjected to testing.

During a recent check near the Danda River, out of the 11 drivers tested, three were found to be driving under the influence of drugs. 

The offenders were arrested and handed over to the police for further investigation. 

The police will look into whether they were involved in drug smuggling or other illegal activities.

The Traffic Office has stated that although the campaign cannot be sustained due to the expensive nature of the testing kits, periodic tests would be conducted using the limited number of available kits. 

While drivers in the border area have become more cautious due to the fear of prosecution, completely eradicating drug consumption while driving remains a challenge, said police.