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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

DRUGS AND DRIVING: PRESCRIPTION FOR DEATH

THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE THAT PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, SUCH AS TRANQUILIZERS, BARBITUATES, AMPHETAMINES, AND EVEN NON-PRESCRIPTION ANTIHISTAMINES, ACCOUNT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF HIGHWAY DEATHS AND INJURIES. ONE LABORATORY CONDUCTED A STUDY A FEW YEARS AGO OF THE EFFECTS OF ONE COMMONLY PRESCRIBED TRANQUILIZER. THE EMPHASIS WAS ON FACTORS THAT MIGHT AFFECT DRIVING BEHAVIOR AND THE STUDY SHOWED THAT WHEN 20 MG DOSES WERE TAKEN DAILY FOR ONE WEEK, JUDGEMENT SCORES WERE MARKEDLY POORER. DRIVER SUBJECTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO INCREASE THEIR SPEED WITH A CONCOMITTANT DECREASE IN ACCURACY AFTER BEING ON THE DRUG THAN THOSE WHO WERE GIVEN A PLACEBO. A SIMILAR STUDY REPORTED THAT A 200 MG DOSE OF MEPROBAMATE (A TRANQUILIZER) RESULTED, ON THE AVERAGE, IN AN 8% REDUCTION OF PERFORMANCE IN A SIMULATED DRIVING TEST, AND 800 MG BROUGHT ABOUT A 16% REDUCTION. THE SAME STUDY ALSO SHOWED THAT 25 MG OF ANOTHER COMMONLY PRESCRIBED DRUG, CHLORPROMAZINE, RESULTED IN A 28% POORER PERFORMANCE. THE EXTENT AND SERIOUSNESS OF THE DRUGS AND DRIVING PROBLEM CAN BE SEEN BY THE RESULTS OF A THREE YEAR STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY LABORATORY OF CRIMINALISTICS. THE STUDY COVERED 10,436 PERSONS ARRESTED FOR DRUNKEN DRIVING. IT WAS FOUND THAT ALMOST 25% (2,559) OF THESE CASES HAD A DRUG INVOLVEMENT, AS DETERMINED BY THE ARRESTING OFFICER QUESTIONING THE DRIVER, OR BY CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. A TOTAL OF 273 DIFFERENT DRUGS WERE DETECTED, WITH TRANQUILIZERS HEADING THE FREQUENCY LIST. A STUDY CONDUCTED IN TORONTO, CANADA, SHOWED THAT PERSONS WHO WERE ABUSING OR DEPENDENT ON BARBITURATES, TRANQUILIZERS OR STIMULANTS HAD AUTO ACCIDENT RATES TWICE AS HIGH AS USUAL FOR THEIR AGE, SEX AND DRIVING EXPOSURE. MANY STATES, TOO, ARE BEGINNING TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE DRUGGED DRIVER. THE PENNSYLVANIA ACTION COMMITTEE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY RECENTLY PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE PENNSYLVANIA VEHICLE CODE BROADENING USE OF CHEMICAL TESTS FOR INTOXICATION TO INCLUDE DRUGS AND NARCOTICS IN ADDITION TO ALCOHOL. THE PACHS REPORTS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT DRUG ABUSE CONNECTED WITH AUTO ACCIDENTS IS UP 10-FOLD IN THE PAST DECADE. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ALSO BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED WITH THE EFFECTS OF "MOOD" DRUGS. LAST JUNE; THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROPOSED RECLASSIFYING AMPHETAMINES AND METHAMPHETAMINES (PEP PILLS) TO REQUIRE NON-REFILLABLE PRESCRIPTIONS. THE REASON: THEY CARRY A POTENTIAL FOR "SEVERE PSYCHOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE WITH SERIOUS DANGER" TO ABUSERS. THE U. S. SENATE IS ALSO TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AT OVER-THE-COUNTER MOOD DRUGS. THE RESULT OF SENATE HEARINGS ON DRUGS WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE FDA IN JANUARY OF 1972 MARKING THE BEGINNING OF AN OVER-ALL REVIEW OF THE SAFETY AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MORE THAN 100,000 NON-PRESCRIPTION DRUGS NOW ON THE MARKET.

  • Publication Date: 1972-3

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  • Accession Number: 00223763
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jun 28 1972 12:00AM