By Adam Morris
The flagship campaign to tackle drug-driving, one of the main threats to life on Scotland’s roads, is in jeopardy due to a funding row.
Police Scotland wanted to enable local officers across the country to test and bring to justice those who drive under the influence of illegal substances.
But 1919 can reveal the training scheme – which has only supported 32 extra officers so far – has been paused “due to the recent Police Scotland budget settlement”.
A report to the Scottish Police Authority’s forensic services committee laid bare the funding challenges now facing the campaign, although new Justice Secretary Neil Gray said the police would retain “an effective response” to drug-driving.
Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren said the force’s vision was to bring drug-drive testing into line with drink-driving, to catch more lawbreaking motorists.
That would require a Scotland-wide training scheme to ensure the testing is not limited to a depleted group of specialist traffic officers, but can be carried out by local cops too.
“However, this has required careful consideration of financial impacts, equipment costs, and additional demand on SPA forensic services, which has already been operating beyond agreed service levels,” he told board members.
“Due to the recent Police Scotland budget settlement, further drug wipe training rollouts are not planned.”
Legislation was strengthened in 2019 and since then the sheer number of drug-drivers north of the border has stunned police and politicians alike.
Every year the numbers are around 20 per cent higher than estimated, leaving testing facilities at breaking point, and figures for 2025/26 are expected to show another 16 per cent rise in cases.
More than 50 per cent of drivers tested are positive, compared to around one in 12 suspected drink-drivers.
“Due to the recent Police Scotland budget settlement, further drug wipe training rollouts are not planned”
To ensure drug-drivers are not slipping through the net, a pilot was launched in Shetland over Christmas 2024 to expand testing capabilities from specialist traffic officers to local cops.
It was hugely successful, and was later expanded to Aberdeen and Ayrshire, again resulting in dozens of motorists being snared.
The initial plan was for all divisions to be covered by the spring of next year, but that drive now seems doomed.
“Drug-driving is at crisis levels in Scotland, and Police Scotland know stamping it out is a matter of life and death,” said Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr.
“Yet because of a shocking funding settlement from the Scottish Government, the objective of tackling it head-on is being severely hampered.
“The end result of this is obvious: more drug-drivers will get away with it, the deterrent for those considering it will be gone, and road safety will be seriously jeopardised.”
Although welcoming it publicly, Chief Constable Jo Farrell is known to be bitterly disappointed with the budget settlement for 2026/27.
It was considerably beneath the level she asked for, and short even of what she said was required to “stand still”.
The impact on drug-driving may go beyond the rollout of Operation Seltern, as the original pilot in Shetland was named.
Forensic service director Fiona Douglas warned the budget settlement meant it would be a struggle to process the extra tests, which are already deluging laboratories.
The private company which helps to process the excess tests has also hiked its costs.
“All of this poses a significant financial risk which will be monitored as the year progresses,” she said.
Gray said: “Police Scotland are clear that they continue to maintain an effective response to drug-driving.
“We are providing record funding of over £1.7 billion for policing in 2026/27 to support police capacity and capability, including tackling drug-driving – a five per cent increase compared to 2025/26.
“The allocation of resources is a matter for the chief constable.”