WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO TAKE NARCOTICS FOR PAIN?

Testing impaired drivers will no doubt give police one more tool in
removing dangerous drivers from the road.

No one, especially a physician, can underestimate the importance of
removing impaired drivers from our highways. However, such legislation
will no doubt cause some enforcement problems.

Cancer patients and those with chronic ailments are sometimes on
long-acting narcotics to control chronic pain. While research suggests
most of them don't have significant issues with driving, there could
be problems if such testing becomes routine. Of course, such
individuals should not be impaired when driving. If testing is done on
non-impaired individuals, regardless of their medical conditions,
false positive tests could clog local courts.

Marijuana-derived oral medications and medical marijuana have an
increasing role in managing pain. Doses prescribed for pain control
will not normally cause impairment but will register positive on urine
and blood tests. Testing for marijuana does not necessarily indicate
when the individual ingested the substance. Urine testing can be
positive for two to three months following stoppage of regular use.
Also, it is difficult to quantify the amount the individual used.
Low-dose use of marijuana derivatives for pain management has not been
associated with impaired driving habits.

Careful documentation of impairment, perhaps by a medical
professional, may help to address these issues when evaluating a
driver who is impaired by substances other than alcohol.

Christopher Leighton

Windsor