THE DANGERS OF DRIVING ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

The Dangers of Driving on Prescription Drugs

The Dangers of Driving on Prescription Drugs

Introduction

A number of prescription medications carry labels warning patients not to operate vehicles or heavy machinery after taking the medication. Any prescription that carries that warning can impair a driver's ability to properly operate a vehicle, sometimes leading to serious accidents. If you or someone you love has been injured by a driver who recklessly chose to drive under the influence of a prescription medication, you shouldn't have to pay thousands of dollars in medical bills for their negligence. (Neale et al., 2001)

Prescriptions can impair a driver's reflexes and judgment just as much as alcohol or illegal drugs. They can cause blurry vision, tiredness, and lack of focus. Getting behind the wheel after starting a new medication is illegal and puts everyone on the road at risk. People who choose to drive after becoming intoxicated by a medication can even be convicted of a DWI.

After being issued a DWI or causing an accident, someone under the influence of a new medication cannot claim ignorance. Due to the inherent risks of these medications, doctors let their patients know of the risks and warn them not to drive or operate heavy machinery. Pharmacists reiterate that warning, even attaching a warning label to the pill bottle. (Neutel, 2005)

There are a wide array of medications carrying this warning, but it can be found on most prescription pain medications and anxiety medications. (Orsay et al., 2004)The range of medications that can impair a person's ability to operate a vehicle is not limited to those: many psychiatric medications, and even anti-histamines, can make it dangerous to operate a vehicle. Nonetheless, anyone who has taken one of those medications has heard the warning many times.

If you or someone you love has been injured by the irresponsible actions of a driver who was intoxicated by a prescription drug, you have the same rights as the victims of DUIs. With the help of a car accident lawyer, you can seek compensation from the people responsible for your medical bills and suffering.Driving while unfit through drugs, whether illegal or prescribed or over-the-counter medicines, is an offence that carries the same penalties as drink driving. The Police can, and do, conduct roadside tests to help them assess whether a driver may be impaired .

Although teens are turning away from street drugs, now there's a new threat and it's from the family medicine cabinet: The abuse of prescription (Rx) and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. (Ogborne & Smart, 2000)Teens are abusing some prescription and over-the-counter drugs to get high. This includes painkillers, such as those drugs prescribed after surgery; depressants, such as sleeping pills or anti-anxiety drugs; and stimulants, such as those drugs prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Teens are also abusing over-the-counter drugs, such as cough and cold remedies.

Discussion

Every day 2,500 youth age 12 to 17 abuse a pain reliever for the very first ...