Roadside drug testing has begun in the Wellington District, marking the first stage of a nationwide rollout aimed at cracking down on drug-impaired driving, Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Police Minister Mark Mitchell say.
The new regime uses saliva-based screening devices to detect recent use of cannabis, methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine, with Police warning that drug driving now features in around 30 per cent of road deaths.
Drivers who return a positive roadside test will be required to undergo a second screening and will be prohibited from driving for 12 hours if both tests are positive, while a saliva sample will be sent to a laboratory for confirmatory analysis before any infringement is issued.
Ministers say the initiative fulfils a government commitment to introduce roadside drug testing by December 2025, with testing to scale up from April 2026 and operate nationwide by mid-2026.
However, the rollout has also triggered a strong public reaction online, with Police social media posts drawing heavy criticism from commenters questioning the accuracy, safety and ethics of saliva swab testing and expressing broader distrust of law enforcement.
Wellington Police getting absolutely hammered on their drug driving facebook post, which I screenshot for posterity 😉 https://t.co/RZcn3DVdpv
The trust is GONE in the police.
Public are wide awake, questioning the method, the safety of swabs, the accuracy of swabs & ethics 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/HrGpYgps93— WildandFree17 (@Wildnfree1984) December 14, 2025
Image credit: Sebi Pintilie
Cannabis testing scam, if it is still in your system then it is still affecting you is a lie. However you will still lose your license. Aussie product and you know how they operate.
And medicinal cannabis users?
Which albeit while invariably involving low amounts of intake would though invariably involve cumulative ‘buildup’
Which could make such people more susceptible to ‘failures’
The law as it stands at the moment doesn’t distinguish between recreational THC and prescribed medicinal THC use
Would add not all medicinal cannabis products in NZ contain THC
I thought prescription cannabis was not counted in this?
State TERRORISM!
SHOW US YOUR PAYPURS! IMMEDIATELY! NOW!
Will we see an increase in door knocking by police if someone tests positive on the suspicion of drug use? Remember the new law introduced during the ‘conjob’ allowing police to enter your home without a warrant any time they deem fit to do so?
What people do not realise is that this could but used to collect DNA – to be added to your digital ID.
Close down the chemist shops then you will see a huge drop in drug driving.