Showing posts with label illegal drugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label illegal drugs. Show all posts

Introduction

If you drive after taking drugs, your ability to drive may be impaired and your reactions could be slower. Amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy are just some examples of illegal drugs known to cause impairment.


Driving under the influence of a drug (including any side effect) is illegal and is controlled by two offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988, Driving in excess of a specified limit for certain drugs specified in regulations and Driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs.


The current UK law defines a drug as ‘any intoxicant other than alcohol’. This includes illegal drugs such as cannabis but also prescribed medicines and over-the-counter medicines. This is because a driver who is impaired through any drug is at risk of having an accident. Drug driving is considered to be as serious as drink driving, and the penalties are the same.


How drugs affect driving


Drugs affect your ability to drive in many ways. For example, you may experience:


  • slower reaction times

  • erratic (unpredictable) and aggressive behaviour

  • poor concentration

  • distorted perception (false sense of awareness and understanding of, for example, distances) 

  • poor co-ordination

  • blurred vision

  • overconfidence that leads to you taking unnecessary risks

  • nausea (feeling sick)

  • hallucinations (seeing, feeling or hearing things that are not real)

  • panic attacks

  • paranoia (being suspicious of people and situations)

  • tremors or shaking

  • dizziness

  • tiredness, which can be severe, and sometimes the following day

The effects can vary according to the individual person, drug type, dosage, the length of time the drug stays in your body, or if the drug has been taken with other drugs or alcohol. The effects can last for hours or days.


Police roadside tests


The police can carry out tests at the roadside to check if a driver is above the specified limit for certain specified drugs and also test to help the officer decide if the driver is impaired.. Refusing to take the tests is an offence and the driver can be arrested in the same way that failure to provide a breath test when under suspicion of drink driving is. For more information, see Is there a police test for drug driving?


What happens if I’m caught?


If you’re found guilty of driving under the influence of drugs, the penalties are the same as for drink driving. You will receive:


  • a minimum 1 year driving ban

  • a fine of up to £5,000 or up to six months in prison or both

  • a criminal record

A conviction for drug driving is shown on your driving licence for 11 years. If you drive for work, your employer will see the conviction when you produce your licence.

Any drug-related conviction may cause problems visiting countries such as the US.


Medicines and driving


Medicines that can affect your ability to drive include:


  • prescribed medicines, such as antihistamines or tranquillisers

  • over-the-counter medicines, such as co-codamol

Medicines that can make you feel sleepy will carry a message saying: "Warning. May cause drowsiness. If affected, do not drive or operate machinery".


Always ask your GP or pharmacist if your medication may affect your ability to drive. Also check:


  • the medicine’s packaging

  • the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine

You can find out which health conditions or medical treatments you may need to tell the DVLA about or you can call NHS 111 for advice.


If in doubt, don’t drive.


Read the answers to common health questions about alcohol, drugs and smoking.


Further information:


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Does the UK Need Stricter Standards for Sports Supplements?

Many athletes can find themselves tempted by sports supplements, designed to enhance performance and give them an advantage over opponents. Many supplements are consumed in the hopes of increasing muscle mass, improving energy levels, and decreasing body fat. Whilst some are legal, many of these supplements contain illegal substances in order to give the athletes an unfair advantage. Athletes may seek anything to help improve their performance, but the real risk comes when consuming supplements that have unknown ingredients in them. If an athlete is found to have taken illegal substances, their whole career could be ruined. In a recent report made by the Australian Crime Commission, or ACC, it was found that some athlete’s may have unknowingly consumed products that contained or were contaminated with banned ingredients such as illegal performance enhancing drugs. In many cases these ingredients were in products and not listed on the ingredients.


 


A vast majority of sports supplement producers and suppliers sponsor clubs or individual players, in a commercial relationship that can often cause major concern for the credibility and honesty of sport. The ACC has accused many sports of being guilty of drug-use, and whilst the majority of important sports supplements producers have welcomed increased checks and law enforcement, they suggest that athletes are still threatened by imported, unregulated products that contain illegal substances. The sports supplement market has become increasingly competitive and cut-throat, and new operators and distributors are encouraging athletes to take questionable supplements that may be illegal to consume. Quade Cooper, an Australian rugby player, has spoken out about being confronted by supplement companies whom he didn’t trust, and stated that he would only use products tested and recommended by professionals working for the Australian Rugby Union. Many of these supplements are imported, and whilst the ACC has shown that rigorous checks and rules are in place for domestic brands, supplements from the US or UK have far less strict conditions of manufacture. A call has been made for these countries to improve their regulations of new sports supplements, in order to improve the integrity of the sports industry.

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