A total of 2,510 drivers in Cyprus were caught by traffic police being under the influence of drugs in the past three years, that is between 2020 and 2022.
And if the 151 drivers also caught driving under the influence of drugs in January this year are added up then the shocking total reaches 2,662 in just 3,251 targeted checks.
These numbers are also indicative of the big drug use problem that has infiltrated society widely, Philenews also reported on Thursday.
Official data shows there is a serious increase in the use of cannabis but also of cocaine in recent years.
If a driver refuses to provide a saliva sample for a drug test, the case is referred to Court and, under the law, they are subject to the same penalties as a driver found positive.
In 2022, there were 1180 targeted tests of drivers of which 1064 were found positive, or 1000 positive in a preliminary test and 64 who refused to provide a saliva sample.
Most of the checks were carried out by the Traffic Department of Police Headquarters which operates on all motorways and in all cities of Cyprus.
