Roadside drug testing by Devon and Cornwall Police has more than tripled since 2020, with positive results for cannabis and cocaine rising sharply over the same period, newly released figures show.

Data disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that officers carried out 673 roadside drug tests in 2020. By 2024, that figure had climbed to 2,193 tests a year.

The number of drivers testing positive for drugs has increased alongside the rise in testing. In 2020, 178 roadside tests returned a positive result for cannabis. This rose steadily to 441 in 2024, despite a slight drop from a peak of 483 the previous year.

Positive tests for cocaine have shown a similar upward trend. In 2020, 92 drivers tested positive for cocaine at the roadside. By 2024, that figure had nearly quadrupled to 352, up from 348 in the previous year.

Overall, the figures show a consistent year-on-year increase in both testing activity and the number of positive results. In 2022, officers carried out 1,508 roadside tests, with 380 drivers testing positive for cannabis and 221 for cocaine.

In 2023, testing rose again to 2,125, with 483 cannabis positives and 348 cocaine positives recorded.

The force was also asked about drug screening carried out at police stations following arrest for roadside-related offences. It said, 'This information is not held in the format requested.'

However, police confirmed that a Drug Test on Arrest scheme was piloted during 2024 and 2025. The scheme applied to individuals whose home address fell within the Cornwall and Torbay drug and alcohol services areas and focused mainly on people arrested for so-called 'trigger' offences, such as acquisitive crime (theft and burglary) and drug-related offences.

A total of 201 tests were carried out under the scheme, with all returning positive results. Of those, three tests related specifically to drug driving offences, with two positive for cocaine and one for opiates.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the pilot scheme has now ended.