Taipei:A lawmaker from Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), announced plans to introduce legislation aimed at imposing stricter penalties for driving under the influence of narcotics. The proposal includes the possibility of the death penalty for repeat offenders who cause fatalities.
According to Focus Taiwan, Legislator Lai Shyh-bao revealed at a news conference that drug-impaired driving deaths in Taiwan have increased from 11 in 2024 to 30 in the first seven months of 2026. Additionally, from 2023 to 2025, drug-related cases in the legal system rose by 64%, with notable increases in marijuana and new psychoactive substance cases.
To address these issues, Lai intends to propose legislation that would categorize drug-impaired driving as a separate offense from drunk driving. Under the proposed law, basic drug-impaired driving cases without accidents could result in a one-to-five-year prison sentence and a maximum fine of NT$500,000 (US$15,686). This contrasts with the current penalty of up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of NT$300,000, which lacks a statutory minimum sentence.
Lai also suggests that vehicles be confiscated from drugged drivers who cause fatalities, and that repeat offenders who cause deaths should face the death penalty, rather than just life imprisonment as currently suggested by the Cabinet. Furthermore, the legislation would require those with suspended sentences for drug-impaired driving to attend rehabilitation programs and undergo regular drug testing.
The planned regulations include codifying the use of saliva-based rapid drug tests, which the Cabinet proposed in June, and permitting their use as an anti-drug measure in schools. Lai also stated that any reclassification of marijuana, currently a Category 2 narcotic, to a less serious Category 3 drug would need approval from the Legislative Yuan, rather than being executed by executive order.
These proposals have emerged amid a heated debate over drug policy influencing the Taipei mayoral race, with less than two months until Taiwan's local elections on November 28.
