DRUG DRIVING DANGERS
A recent study of illicit drug impact on dangerous driving showed that addicted patients have worse driving careers and trauma experiences than non users.
The study of 350 patients in a Queensland general medical practice recorded two thirds of patients with an opiate addiction.
Addicted patients experienced more driving related medical problems like fractures, surgical operations, dental trauma and assaults.
Driving histories for addicted patients showed more accidents, licence suspensions, repaired vehicles, rear end collisions, accident absconding, injured and killed people.
(Source: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy, 2008)
The Drug Advisory Council of Australia comments-
This research is similar to other research that shows that drug driving accidents are likely to be more traumatic for the people involved and the wider community.
Like violence by illicit drug addicted people against emergency workers like ambulance officers, medical staff, police and bystanders, drug driving has a huge cost for the community.
The occasion that drug driving is detected provides an ideal opportunity for an addicted driver to be diverted into detoxification and rehabilitation to get them drug free.
Overseas experience has proven that court ordered and supervised illicit drug detoxification and rehabilitation will reduced the road toll, trauma and community costs so why is it not available here.
Australia needs to adopt solutions that work and reduce the drug using population.
Removing the underlying drug addiction must be part of the solution.
More detoxification & rehabilitation that gets illicit drug users drug free.
Court ordered and supervised detoxification & rehabilitation.
Less illicit drug users, drug pushers and drug related crimes.
15/2008