Ministry of Justice Initiates Legal Amendments to Increase Penalties for Drug-Impaired Driving

According to the Central News Agency, the Ministry of Justice announced on the evening of the 1st that drug-impaired driving poses a major threat to public safety and social order, and that it has fully initiated legal amendments to prevent such crimes. The ministry stated that, considering the different nature of drug-impaired driving and drunk driving, it will draft amendments to regulate them separately and increase statutory penalties. The ministry has instructed the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office to prioritize the investigation of emerging drugs like etomidate. Since the inclusion of dangerous driving in the scope of preventive detention under the Code of Criminal Procedure, prosecutors have filed for preventive detention in 30 drug-impaired driving cases between May 15 and 26, with 21 granted by the court. Furthermore, a drug review committee will be held in June to discuss upgrading etomidate to a Class 1 drug.