Hyderabad: In a significant development, the Telangana state police department has introduced ‘drug and drive tests’ to ascertain if the drivers are under the influence of drugs, mainly marijuana or weed.
The tests would be administered using the ‘Ebon Urine Cup’ machine to detect drug abusers.
The Telangana State Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) has prepared the kit to curb the menacing addiction of drugs among motorists, and the kits have been sent to all police stations for the necessary grounds.
Special training is being imparted to the staff on identifying drug users with this device’s help, an official said.
Meanwhile, inspections have already begun under several police station limits. Circle Inspector Upendra Rao along with Sub-Inspector Santosh Rao conducted ‘drug and drive’ tests in Dornakal on Monday, April 15.
“A urine test will be conducted if there is any suspicion of the consumption of other drugs, like cannabis, using the test kit,” police said. “If the device displays two red lines, it is considered negative, and if only one line appears, it is considered positive,” they added.
They further clarified that the person with the “positive result” will be taken into custody, and further tests will be conducted if required.
The state police had launched a similar campaign to detect drug abusers on New Year’s occasion.
