Transport secretary Lord Adonis has launched a government campaign to make drug driving "socially unacceptable".
The Department of Transport on Monday unveiled the first nationwide campaign to target drivers who take drugs, with a series of adverts costing more than £2m to highlight the dangers.
The first of the television campaigns will be broadcast this evening on ITV, warning drivers that police officers can spot whether a motorist is under the influence of drugs.
DfT figures suggest that one in five drivers killed in road accidents may have been under the influence of an impairing drug.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lord Adonis explained that the government wants to make drug driving as "socially unacceptable" as drink driving.
"The premise of the ads is that people shouldn't be drug driving," he said.
"The big thing we are trying to achieve with this ad campaign is to make drug driving as totally socially unacceptable as drink driving is."
He also confirmed that the government was looking at ways to change the law on drug driving.
"The offence at the moment is driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drugs," Lord Adonis said.
"We are looking at changing the law so that we could make it an offence simply to drive after taking illegal drugs which can impair the ability to drive. We are consulting on that at the moment."
And the cabinet minister added that the government is also looking at commissioning a device to test people for drug driving on the scene.
"Other countries do have screening devices," he said. "I am told that they are effective but they raise issues about how you deal with different sorts of drugs and what the legal basis is."
But shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers dismissed the government's drug driving campaign as "inadequate".
"It is hugely worrying that the test still used at the roadside is no more sophisticated than asking suspected drug-drivers to walk in a straight line," she said.
"It is vital that Labour step up efforts to get a reliable roadside testing method in place as soon as possible if really effective action is to be taken against drug driving."
Although difficult to calculate, in Scotland it is estimated that seven per cent of offences for impaired driving are related to drugs rather than alcohol.
And DfT research suggests that one in 10 young male drivers has reported being under the influence of drugs while behind the wheel.
A conviction for driving under the influence of drugs currently comes with a minimum 12-moth driving ban, a criminal record and a fine.
