25/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - On 26 June, “International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking”, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction published research showing wide support in the EU for driving under the influence of drugs to be made a criminal offence. Driving under the influence of alcohol is already a crime in all Member States, but rules vary widely from one country to another with regard to drugs other than alcohol, notes the study, with some countries using tests to see whether drivers are under the influence of drugs and others operating a "zero tolerance" policy, sanctioning drivers for even the slightest traces of drugs that show up. Driving licences can be suspended for weeks or months (in Germany and Austria), at least two years (Ireland) or a maximum of five years (the Netherlands and Finland). Fines range from a few hundred euros to EUR 7,000 in the UK and EUR 10,000 in Belgium. The research revealed increasing public alarm about driving under the influence of drugs, quoting a Eurobarometer poll carried out in 2002 where 79.4% of the young Europeans surveyed wanted drugs testing to be carried out at the same time as the breathalyser or other alcohol tests.