Initial proposals to combat driving under the influence of drugs will be available for public consultation around mid-year.

Secretary for Transport & Housing Eva Cheng told legislators today an inter-departmental working group has been formed to study and formulate proposals to combat drug driving.

The group plans to deal with dangerous drugs and other drugs separately. It will study the feasibility of adopting a zero-tolerance approach to certain drugs commonly abused. It will be an offence if a driver has been proved to have taken these drugs.

For other drugs the working group will study how best to update existing legislation and assess the feasibility of introducing preliminary tests to help frontline Police determine whether a driver is under the influence of drugs.

The working group will draw reference from overseas experience and study how the legislation should be amended to facilitate enforcement and evidence collection.

The yearly figures of prosecutions instituted against drug driving between 2006 and 2009 range from one to five cases. There were eight cases from January to April this year. All involved dangerous drugs, mostly ketamine.