Police are going back to pre-breathalyser days and asking drivers to touch their noses and walk a straight line.

The move is part of a new campaign to trap drivers under the influence of drugs including cocaine and cannabis.

The crackdown in the run-up to Christmas is the first of its kind in Brighton and Hove and one of only a handful in England and Wales.

Breathalyser machines show up drivers with excess alcohol but not drugs.

Inspector Jim Bartlett said: "My officers will be conducting roadside checks throughout December and impairment tests will be conducted on drivers who they have reason to suspect may be driving while unfit to do so.

"If drivers refuse to take the tests or perform poorly while carrying them out, they may be arrested and a blood or urine sample may be taken from them for analysis.

"The penalties are the same as for drink-driving.

"Offenders face a minimum one-year driving ban, a fine of up to £5,000, and six months in jail.

"Anyone responsible for the death of someone when driving while unfit through either drugs or drink also faces a maximum prison sentence of 14 years."

Police will be mounting road safety checks around the city and testing any motorists suspected of driving under the influence of drugs.

The campaign is being spearheaded by the city's Drug and Alcohol Action Team, in conjunction with Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council's road safety teams.

It will run alongside the police Christmas anti-drink-driving campaign.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of the city council's environment committee, said: "The drug-driving campaign is all about reducing accidents and injuries on our roads.

"While most drivers are now well aware of the dangers and penalties for drink-driving, we are concerned there is a different attitude to driving after taking drugs. Drug-driving can kill or maim just the same as drink-driving but many motorists, particularly youngsters, disregard the risks."

The campaign is being targeted at 17 to 25-year-olds, the group thought most likely to be at risk.

Posters are going up in around 100 pubs and clubs in the city centre warning people of the dangers and hard-hitting advertisements will be going out on local radio.

Insp Bartlett from Brighton and Hove's Road Policing Department said: "Most drivers know the effects that alcohol has on their ability to drive safely and be able to react properly to situations.

"Driving under the influence of drugs - whether prescribed medication or illegal substances - is just as dangerous.

"It's against the law and it greatly increases your chances of being involved in a collision.

"Targeting motorists who drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a 365 days a year commitment for Sussex Police but during the festive period, people may be tempted to take additional risks.

This is a time for celebration not for the misery that results in the unlawful, dangerous and antisocial actions of a selfish minority.

Brighton and Hove is one of the first places in the country to specifically target drug-driving.

A similar campaign in the North East last year proved successful in raising awareness about the dangers.Brighton and Hove's Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) has launched an online survey on the Safe In The City web site.

The survey has been promoted in the universities and some sixth form colleges.

The survey is at www.safeinthecity.net where there's also a prize draw for an iPod shuffle.

Of a sample 1,047 respondents, 61 per cent thought drugs impaired driving a lot, but 30 per cent said that they had been involved in drug-

driving, either as a driver or passenger; 88 per cent stated they would be concerned about being stopped by police if they were drug-driving.