Driving Under The Influence

When someone says DUI or Driving Under The Influence, the first thing folks think of is alcohol.  Alcohol is a major drug that is abused but illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine are also abused as well as prescription drugs are getting abused more and more.

There is a great article published by National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) about this subject. So why do we care about driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol?

• “The principal concern regarding drugged driving is that driving under the influence of any drug that acts on the brain could impair one’s motor skills, reaction time, and judgment. Drugged driving is a public health concern because it puts not only the driver at risk, but also passengers and others who share the road.”
• “Drugs act on the brain and can alter perception, cognition, attention, balance, coordination, reaction time, and other faculties required for safe driving. The effects of specific drugs of abuse differ  depending on their mechanisms of action, the amount consumed, the history of the user, and other factors.”

NIDA has some very interesting statistics on accidents, age, and drugs involved. One that stands out is:
“One study found that about 34 percent of motor vehicle crash victims admitted to a Maryland trauma center tested positive for “drugs only”; about 16 percent tested positive for “alcohol only.”

So what is the most abused drug? In the article, Marijuana and DUI, the author states “By far, the illegal drug that is most  often used while driving or followed by driving a motor vehicle is marijuana. Marijuana is the most  prevalent illegal drug that has been found in motor vehicle crash victims, impaired drivers and  fatally injured drivers.”

Marijuana abuse is found throughout the United States and it one drug that is prevalent to all walks of life. The point to walk away from this post, is when dealing with a DUI charge ( either alchol or drugs)  you need an experienced and aggressive DUI attorney that can assist you through that difficult time.