East Gippsland police have ramped up drug testing following an increase in people driving while under the influence of illicit substances.
In the past fortnight, 14 people have been charged with drug offences and police will continue to target drivers affected by drugs.
Operations Support Commander for the Eastern Region, Inspector Luke Smeaton, said the majority of offenders were in the Lakes Entrance area.
“We’ve had a whole lot of law enforcement going on in Lakes Entrance and much of that police activity relates to drug affected drivers,” Inspector Smeaton told the <I>Post<P>.
“It’s really very disappointing.”
Inspector Smeaton said an elderly pedestrian was killed in Myer Street recently and a local woman has been remanded in custody until next year charged with culpable driving.
As a result of that incident, police have stepped up their drug detection operations three-fold.
Inspector Smeaton said drugs were responsible for causing harm in the community.
He said street crime, road trauma and family violence could often be linked back to drugs.
“Drugs cause communities significant harm,” he said.
Inspector Smeaton said the terminology, ‘recreational drug user’ gave drug use “a wellbeing flavor”.
“I don’t buy into that, drug use affects mental health and it often has dire consequences on communities,” he said.
Inspector Smeaton said policing activities around drugs will become more aggressive in the coming weeks involving both uniform and plain clothed officers.
He said operations would be concentrated in Lakes CBD, residential areas and back roads in and out of the township.
“You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know people are using back roads to avoid detection,” he said.
Inspector Smeaton said the demographic for drug use locally tended to be men and women aged under 35.
He said those caught drug driving would have their cars impounded.
“We’ll be running out of space for impounded cars soon. There will be a reduction in vehicles in Lakes Entrance,” he said.
