Valium, Xanax, and Zopidem: 9 Ways You Can Stop Drugged Driving Before It Happens

Drugged driving, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, is the act of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by any type of drug or medication or combination of drugs, medication, and alcohol--and it's on the rise. 

According to the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, results of alcohol and drug tests performed on drivers who had died in motor vehicle crashes in 2008 in Canada show that 37% were positive for drugs compared to a slightly marginal 41% who tested positive for alcohol.

Drugged driving is becoming a greater trend among young drivers: A Canadian survey in 2011 of high school students showed that 21% had driven at least once within an hour of using drugs. When asked if the students had been a passenger in a vehicle where the driver had used drugs, 50% said yes. Indeed, data in some reports show (e.g. Stop Drugged Driving) an increase in driving under the influence of drugs--across the spectrum of age-groups--in contrast to a, albeit slow, decline of alcohol-impaired driving.

The most common drugs found in fatalities, as reported by the Canadian Safety Council, are "central nervous system depressants (i.e., sedatives and tranquilizers, such as Valium, Xanax and other benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines--e.g. zolpidem, and zalepon--, as well as barbituates) used to treat anxiety or sleep disorders, cannabis (marijuana), stimulants and narcotics. That same report states that "females are almost equally as likely as males to test positive for drugs. And it's not just the young: among fatally injured drivers ages 55 and older, drug use is more prevalent than alcohol. 

As the Canadian Safety Council further elucidates, Canada is becoming more intentional in cracking down on drugged driving, with, e.g., a growing body of 491 drug recognition experts (DRE) who exclusively work to enforce penalties for driving under the influence of drugs. In cases of alleged drug use, a DRE can be called in to further assess the condition of the suspect by collecting a urine or blood sample, or a swab. If determined positive for drug use, charges can be laid under the Criminal Code of Canada.

Below are some recommendations to stop drugged driving before it happens:

• Don't drink while impaired
• Do not combine drugs with alcohol
• Don't use illegal drugs
• Don't use varieties of drugs to get high
• Really understand the side effects of your medications. Talk to your pharmacist about the impact the prescription drug may have on your driving abilities
• Be aware that drugs react to one another when taken simultaneously or in tandem
• As a host, monitor those guests who enter your home for drug use. If you suspect someone is impaired, speak up, and make alternate arrangements. Do not let them drive away.
• Refuse to be a passenger in a car whose driver is impaired. Make every safe effort to prevent the impaired driver from operating the vehicle.
• Quite simply, report impaired driving to the police.