Author: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor

BMA CALLS FOR TOUGHER DRUG-DRIVE REGULATIONS

Tougher action must be taken to counteract the rise in fatal road
accidents caused by illegal drugs, doctors' leaders said yesterday.

The use of cannabis and similar drugs was now so common it had begun
to pose as big a menace on the roads as alcohol, the British Medical
Association (BMA) said.

The number of cannabis users involved in fatal accidents rose from 3
per cent to 12 per cent between the late 1980s and the late 1990s,
studies by the Transport and Road Research Laboratory found.

This week, David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, is expected to announce
that an experimental relaxation in the law on cannabis, downgrading it
from Category A to Category B, is to be made permanent. The effect of
the change, reducing the penalties for possession, is expected to
increase consumption.

The BMA has called for a campaign to educate the public on the dangers
of driving while under the influence of drugs. It also wants more
research to develop sensitive drug tests. Nearly half of those
surveyed aged 16 to 24 have reported using cannabis and more than a
third say they have taken hallucinogens, such as ecstasy.

Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's head of science and ethics, said:
"Whatever action the Government takes on drug-driving, it is essential
it is accompanied by a public awareness campaign. People generally
accept you shouldn't drink and drive but probably have no idea about
the effects of drugs on their driving ability."

Prescribed drugs, including tranquillisers, painkillers and
anti-histamines, could be equally dangerous. "All of these can have a
sedative effect, yet most people probably think it is totally safe for
them to drive," Dr Nathanson said.

The BMA says urgent research is needed to establish the precise
effects of drugs, such as cannabis, which can be found in the blood 28
days or more after use. Cannabis is known to impair co-ordination,
visual perception, tracking and vigilance but studies of its effect on
driving skills and road safety are inconclusive.

Driving while unfit because of drugs is an offence but there is no
legal blood-drug limit. The lack of accurate testing devices makes the
legislation very difficult to enforce.

In a briefing for MPs, the BMA says developing accurate tests for
drugs poses a considerable scientific challenge. Alcohol tests are
based on a clinical understanding of the metabolic rate and excretion
from the body as well as its effect on the brain.

Comparable tests to detect drug levels in the body remain elusive
because there is a huge range of legal and illegal drugs that have
different effects and remain in the body for differing amounts of time.