A staggering 10,612 Queensland drivers have been proven by police laboratories to have been driving under the influence of cannabis, crystal-meth or ecstasy in 2015-16, according to police data released to Fairfax Media.
That is more than three times the number of Queenslanders detected (3178) for drug driving in 2014-15.
More than a fifth of these people in 2015-2016 (2811) tested positive to two or more of the drugs while they were driving a vehicle.
Deputy Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said she was alarmed by the rising figures and asked to see a geographical breakdown of where they were reported.
Ms Frecklington said she would ask for further information from Police Minister Mark Ryan on Friday to see if they were linked to rising youth unemployment and "where rising youth crime" was highest.
"The concern we would have as an Opposition would be to determine if it is happening in certain areas, like Townsville, where youth crime appears to be just out of control," Ms Frecklington said.
The Right to Information shows police tripled the number of police able to complete roadside drug tests in 2015-16, training an extra 133 drug testing police to take the total to 407.
These additional specially trained police more than doubled the number of roadside drug tests in 2015-16; up from 20,389 in 2014-15 to 49,445 roadside drug tests in 2015-16.
As a result 10,804 Queensland drivers received a positive saliva test to an illicit drug test in 2015-16.
And of those 10,804 drivers receiving a positive saliva test, police laboratories were able to substantiate 10,612 as driving while affected by a drug; usually cannabis or crystal meth.
The results show the frequency of drug driving in Queensland appears to be increasing, even if more people are tested by police.
In 2015-16, 10,612 (one in 4.6 drivers) of the 49,445 drivers chosen by a drug testing police officer for a test, were positive.
In 2014-15, 3178 (one in 6.4 drivers) from the 20,389 drivers chosen by drug-testing police for a test were positive.
When a person completes a roadside drug test, the salvia goes to a police laboratory which takes around one month to provide a true test and identify the drug.
The 2015-16 drugged driver figures show:
- Cannabis (THC): 4078
- Crystal meth: 3654
- Ecstasy (MDMA): 69
- Cannabis plus crystal meth: 2432
- Cannabis plus ecstasy: 142
- Ecstasy plus crystal meth: 128
- Cannabis plus crystal meth plus ecstasy: 109
- Total: 10,612
(Source: Queensland Police Service labs for period July 1, 2015 to Jun 30, 2016)
The information was provided to Fairfax Media after it questioned the comparative successful hit rate of drug testing carried out during the 2016 Christmas Eve to New Year holiday break.
Since Christmas Eve, police have completed 845 drug tests, where 146 were positive.
"So that is around 26 per cent that is positive, but that is because it is so targeted," a Queensland Police Service spokesman said.
In the same time, since Christmas Eve, they have completed 65,000 RBTs where 304 positive drink drivers were detected.
The recent drug driving results have not been confirmed by the police laboratories yet, however people's drivers' licenses have been temporarily suspended, the police spokesman said.
Drug tests cost about $30 a test, while a random breath test costs about 10¢ a test, because drug testing equipment to get a saliva test, then a lab test is more costly.
Ms Frecklington said the state government should immediately scrutinise the figures.
"The Palaszczuk government needs to ensure that our police are are getting the resources they need to combat drugs on our roads," she said."If police need more investment in testing equipment or public awareness campaigns, (Premier) Annastacia Palaszczuk and Mark Ryan need to listen and deliver those resources."
Mr Ryan has been asked if Queensland needs to shift its emphasis more towards controlling drug driving.
Queensland's peak drug and alcohol agency, the Queensland Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies, could not be immediately contacted on Thursday.
Executive officer Rebecca MacBean has frequently said substance misuse was most frequently discussed in terms of its most immediate and visible problems.
"Which masks the fact that substance misuse is a problem across our whole society and is acknowledged as contributing to a range of less obvious harms," she told a substance abuse forum in 2013.
"This is played out across domestic violence, the child safety system, youth justice, mental ill-health and for many long-term drinkers – in chronic disease."
Mr Ryan said keeping people safe on our roads was a priority for the Palaszczuk government.
"The Queensland police have been working hard to stop those who are doing the wrong thing on our roads, including drug driving, " Mr Ryan said.
"These figures confirm the hard work of the Queensland police.
"There are now more trained officers doing more roadside drug tests than ever before.
"The Queensland government will continue to work closely with the police to explore further options regarding testing programs and models in 2017."