Drug Driving in Ireland: The Quiet Shift That Most People Miss

You can feel stone-cold sober. Drive perfectly. Hurt no one.

And still lose your licence—just because of what’s in your blood.

What is this article about?

It's about how Ireland's drug driving laws are changing.

Slowly.

Quietly.

But meaningfully.

This isn’t just a legal update.

It’s about what it now means to be guilty—and how that meaning is changing.

"The mean benzoylecgonine level was

a staggering 1032.9 ng/ml,

more than 20 times the limit"

Quick FAQs (For Anyone Worried or Confused)

Is drug driving law the same as drink driving law?

No. Not even close.

Drink driving law looks at how you act.

Drug driving law often just looks at what's in your blood.

What counts as "over the limit" for drugs?

Here are the legal thresholds from Section 8 of the Road Traffic Act 2016:

• Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC – Cannabis): 1 ng/ml

• 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THC Acid): 5 ng/ml

• Cocaine: 10 ng/ml

• Benzoylecgonine (Cocaine metabolite): 50 ng/ml

• 6-Acetylmorphine (Heroin): 5 ng/ml

If you're over any of these, the State doesn’t need to prove you were impaired.

What drugs are actually showing up in drivers' samples?

According to the 2023 Medical Bureau of Road Safety Annual Report:

• Cannabis, cocaine, and benzodiazepines were the three most commonly detected drugs.

• The mean cannabis level was 6.3 ng/ml (well above the 1 ng/ml limit).

• The mean cannabis THC level was 58.2ng

• The mean cocaine level was 60.5 ng/ml.

• The mean benzoylecgonine level was a staggering 1032.9 ng/ml, more than 20 times the limit.

What does this say about drivers?

The report notes these levels are "significantly in excess" of the legal limits and reflect high intoxication—comparable to severe alcohol impairment.

What about roadside testing?

2023 was the first full year using the Securetec DrugWipe 6S.

• It tests saliva for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines.

• 30,000 cassettes were issued to Gardaí.

"Now you’re not guilty because of

what you necessarily did today. 

You're guilty because of what

you did 3, 4 or 5 days ago.

Maybe even 2 weeks ago"

What drugs are Gardaí catching with the roadside test?

According to Table 5 from the report:

Drug Type	2023 Prevalence
Cocaine	58%
Cannabis	53%
Benzodiazepines	9%
Amphetamines	7%
Opiates	7%

There was a sharp increase in the use of benzodiazepines, methamphetamines, amphetamines and cocaine.  

Do the Gardaí have to prove I was impaired?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

If you're over the threshold in Section 8, they don’t need to show impairment.

Can I tell if I'm over the drug limit?

No. Not without lab equipment.

The MBRS clearly says:

"The Medical Bureau of Road Safety does not provide advice on when it is safe to drive after taking alcohol or drugs."

Is this fair?

That’s up for debate. But it’s not about fairness here; it’s the law.

And it’s enforced.

You can feel totally sober—and still be disqualified.

How many people were drug tested in 2023?

• 5,464 samples sent to MBRS for alcohol or drugs.

• 3,873 were analysed for drugs (toxicology).

Does this mean Gardaí are cracking down on drugs?

Possibly. It suggests a shift in focus—from alcohol to drugs—even without more arrests overall.

But it’s more than numbers. It’s about how the law thinks about guilt.

The Bigger Story: Why This Shift Matters

In 2023, Gardaí sent 3,873 blood or urine samples for drug analysis.

That’s not huge.

But the trend matters more than the number.

It signals a change in how the State defines danger.

It used to be about how you drove.

Now, it can just be about what’s in your system.

The focus is shifting.

From Behaviour to Biology

Under drink driving law, guilt is linked to what you did.

Bad driving, failing a roadside test. Driving drunk.

With drug driving law, you can be convicted based only on what’s inside your blood.

·       Even if you were perfectly alert.

·       Even if no one was hurt.

·       Even if you felt fine.

"Numbers don’t care how you felt.

Or what you knew.

It’s now a fact-based system,

and facts don’t care about your feelings"

The Law Doesn’t Measure Risk. It Measures Molecules.

The problem? These numbers don’t reflect how people actually experience reality.

They don’t reflect impairment.

They just reflect presence.

You can test positive long after the effects are gone.

Especially with cannabis or benzodiazepines.

And most people don’t know that.

You’re Judged by a Lab. Not a Story.

In traditional justice, guilt is about action. About intent. About context.

Drug driving law is different.

It treats biology as behaviour.

That’s efficient. But it's possibly also dehumanising.

Because now you’re not guilty because of what you necessarily did today.

You're guilty because of what you did 3, 4 or 5 days ago.

Maybe even 2 weeks ago.

That's the major difference with drink driving.

Drugs are very, very long-lasting.

Why This Blog Exists

To show the real shift.

Not the 80 extra cases above 2022.

Not the increase in testing.

But the legal mindset behind it all.

We might be moving toward a justice system that doesn't always ask what happened.

Just what the numbers are.

And numbers don’t care how you felt.

Or what you knew.

It’s now a fact-based system, and facts don’t care about your feelings.

Final Thought

If you're waiting for results after a drug driving arrest, this is what you're up against.

And yes, there’s still hope.

They (the State) have to get all the elements of the offence right all the time.

You just have to create one doubt in the judge’s mind.

After all, it's the choice between going off the road… or driving home.

And everybody wants to drive home.