DUI: DRIVING AFTER DRUG USE A GROWING CONCERN

When we see the term DUI (Driving Under the Influence), we assume
alcohol is the culprit. However, there is a growing body of evidence
that the "influence" is drugs - whether illicit or over-the-counter.

A study completed in British Columbia recently revealed similar
results to others conducted in Canada and the United States - a
significant percentage of drivers have drugs in their system.

As part of the 2010 British Columbia Roadside Survey, The Canadian
Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) asked 2,849 drivers in five B.C.
cities to voluntarily provide breath and oral fluid samples to test
for the presence of drugs or alcohol. More than 200 drivers, 7.2 per
cent of the total number of drivers tested in the random survey, had
detectable levels of drugs in their systems.

The report concluded that "driving after drug use is a growing issue
that is as prevalent as driving after alcohol use - and that
drug-impairment may also be a contributing factor to collisions and
fatal road crashes."

By way of comparison. 9.9 per cent of the same group had detectable
levels of alcohol in their blood. Cannabis and cocaine were the most
common drugs. The report also discovered that "drug use among drivers
is more evenly distributed than alcohol use when it comes to age
group, time of day, and day of the week."

An earlier report from the CCSA reported that 33 per cent of drivers
who died in vehicle crashes on public roadways in Canada between 2000
and 2007 tested positive for drugs. The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration in the United States says that in a multi-state
study of fatal crashes, almost one in five drivers (18 per cent) had
drugs other than alcohol in their bodies; prescription and illegal
drugs were represented about equally. NHTSA says the most common
drugs are cannabis, minor tranquilizers, stimulants and opiates.

Another study by the American Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) showed that 16.6 per cent of
American drivers over the age of 21 admitted driving while under the
influence of alcohol or illicit drugs.

Extracted from data from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health,
2002 and 2003, the SAMHSA report, Driving Under the Influence among
Adult Drivers, estimated that among adult drivers ages 21 or older,
15.7 per cent drove under the influence of alcohol, 4.3 per cent
drove under the influence of illicit drugs; and 3.0 per cent drove
under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs, during the past year.

The report also found that the propensity to drive while under the
influence of alcohol or drugs is lower for females and goes down with
age. It indicates females over the age of 21 are half as likely to
have done so and that overall 33.8 per cent of those between 21 and
25 had, 24.3 per cent of those in the 26-34 year range, 10 per cent
in the 50-65 range and only 3.4 per cent of those over 65 years of age.

The authors of the British Columbia report says the total number and
percentage of drivers using drugs may be higher than reported because
some drug levels may have been below detection thresholds.

The British Columbia Automobile Association says a bigger problem is
that the drugs are not being used in isolation. A second CCSA study,
A Comparison of Drug and Alcohol-involved Motor Vehicle Driver
Fatalities, reported that 33 per cent of drivers killed in accidents
tested positive for drugs, compared to 37 per cent who were positive
for alcohol.

Even over-the-counter non-prescription drugs, such as cold and flu
remedies, travel sickness medication, pain relievers, eye drops,
cough syrups, allergy medications, etc., may contain antihistamines,
alcohol, codeine, and other compounds especially dangerous for
drivers. Labels commonly state "may cause drowsiness," "do not
operate machinery," Used in combination with alcohol or other drugs,
the likelihood of impairment is greatly enhanced.

As jurisdictions around the world try to come to grips with the
mounting societal costs of traffic injuries and fatalities, drugs are
a raising a red flag.