A 19-year-old man will be charged after allegedly driving under the influence of cocaine on New Year’s Day.

At approximately 8 am yesterday, Wednesday 1 January, police conducting random drug and alcohol testing on Fairbairn Avenue in Campbell stopped a Mitsubishi Magna.

The man, who holds a provisional licence, underwent a roadside drug test that returned a positive result for cocaine.

He was taken to the City Police Station, where a secondary test also returned a positive result for cocaine.

The man was issued with a court attendance notice and is expected to appear in court at a later date.

As of 1 January 2025, police have been able to test for the presence of cocaine in a driver’s system. Each roadside drug test can now detect cannabis, methamphetamine, MDMA, and cocaine.

While penalties for possession of certain illicit drugs have changed and cannabis possession has been decriminalised, it remains an offence to have any of these drugs in your system while driving.

ACT Policing reminds the community that driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs poses significant risks to yourself and others. It’s simply not worth it.