The Dangerous Pattern of Concurrent Use of Alcohol and Cocaine Among Drunk-Drivers of Northeast Italy

This article reports on a study undertaken to estimate the prevalence of drug and polydrug in a northeast Italian population of drunk-drivers (n = 2,160), who were assessed during the driving license regranting program (2014-2017). The authors were focusing on the effectiveness of including toxicological tests on hair and urine samples in the systematic methodology in this category of subjects. Thirty-one subjects showed alcohol use, 212 illicit drug use and, among these, 131 were polydrug users. Cocaine was ascertained in 165 subjects, in whom 122 showed a concurrent use of alcohol and cocaine, identified through the detection of cocaethylene in hair samples. The authors found 19 different patterns of drug and polydrug use. The authors conclude by recommending that drug and polydrug use among drunk-drivers be subjected to toxicological as well as alcohological monitoring, especially in the regranting procedure. They discuss the need for harmonization of legislation among European countries, involving enforcement measures, combined with prevention programs, based on the different patterns of drug use, such as that reported in the present study.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agy050
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07350414
• Authors:
  • Snenghi, Rossella
  • Pelletti, Guido
  • Frigo, Anna Chiara
  • Forza, Giovanni
  • Nalesso, Alessandro
  • Montisci, Massimo
  • Favretto, Donata
• Publication Date: 2018-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 735-741
• Serial:
  • Alcohol and Alcoholism
  • Volume: 53
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press
  • ISSN: 0735-0414
  • EISSN: 1464-3502
  • Serial URL: http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol use; Cocaine; Drug use; Drugged drivers; Drunk driving; High risk drivers; Toxicology
• Geographic Terms: Italy
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01723039
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 20 2019 9:42AM