July 15, 2010 One in 61 Drivers on Drugs in Victoria Australia New police figures reveal that one in every 61 drivers have tested positive for illicit drugs in Victoria, Australia. Since the random drug testing program was introduced in early 2005, more than 122,000 drivers have been tested and of those 2,000 were found to have used drugs. Results showed amphetamine was the most frequently detected drug (83%), followed by cannabis (29%) and ecstasy (15%). Read more.

July 12, 2010 Professional Race Driver Sarah Fisher Joins ONDCP and NHTSA to Raise Public Awareness of Drugged Driving Professional race driver Sarah Fisher joined Director Kerlikowske of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator David Strickland for a news conference on June 23, 2010 to raise public awareness of drugged driving on the nationÕs roadways. In addition to public education, ONDCP is working to increase the number of states with effective drugged driving laws. ONDCP is also working with NHTSA to increase training opportunities for law enforcement officers as well as with other Federal agencies to improve and standardize laboratory testing to detect drugged driving. Read more.

July 2, 2010 NFL Quarterback Arrested for Drugged Driving Police report that at a downtown Manhattan police checkpoint, backup Titans NFL quarterback Chris Simms slurred his words, had bloodshot eyes and smelled of marijuana and was arrested for impaired driving. Police checkpoints are just one of the important measures police take to improve public safety and to detect drugged driving. Though Simms is charged with a misdemeanor, penalties for drugged driving should be the same as those for drunk driving. Read more.

June 7, 2010 The Involvement of Marijuana in California Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes In a new research paper, California data on drivers involved in passenger vehicle fatal crashes using marijuana were analyzed to determine the impact on traffic safety and to provide information on the possible impact of an initiative, the Tax and Regulate Cannabis Initiative (TC2010) which is on the California ballot in November 2010 to reform and partially legalize marijuana. Researchers found that for the five years following the establishment of the Medical Marijuana Program in 2004, there were 1,240 fatalities in fatal crashes, compared to 631 fatalities for the five years prior, for an increase of almost 100%. Authors also concluded that if TC2010 passes, the estimated annual tax income on marijuana of $1.4 billion will pale in comparison to an estimated $4 billion or more in economic loss from marijuana-related fatal crashes. Read more. Read Press Release.

June 1, 2010 High School Senior Driver in Hit-and-Run Tests Positive for Marijuana Toxicology reports show New Trier High School teen Erin Hughes had marijuana in her system, but no other illegal substances or alcohol at the time of a hit-and-run that seriously injured another student in Illinois. More drug testing has been ordered. This incident is another example of drugged driving and its serious consequences to public health and safety Read more.

May 20, 2010 National Institute on Drug Abuse Focuses on Drugged Driving The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) held a meeting entitled Drugged Driving: Future Research Directions on March 19, 2010. NIDA released the meeting summary which describes presentations made by leaders in drug policy and in drugged driving. The Institute for Behavior and Health has teamed with NIDA to write a White Paper on what is known today about the problem of drugged driving and to develop recommendations for new research to fill the most policy-relevant gaps in knowledge. Read Meeting Summary.

May 17, 2010 National Drug Control Strategy Names Reducing Drugged Driving As Key Demand Reduction Strategy The National Drug Control Strategy released by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy identifies preventing drugged driving as a new national priority on the same scale as preventing drunk driving. Proposed actions include encouraging states to adopt per se legislation, expand drugged driving research efforts, improve drugged driving prevention and education, train law enforcement to identify drugged drivers, and develop standardized procedures for drug-testing laboratories to accurately detect the presence of drugs. Per se drugged driving laws make it a criminal offense to operate a vehicle with any detectable level of illegal drugs in a driver's body, the standard used successfully for 12 million commercial drivers in the U.S. for more than two decades. Development of data systems to assess rates of drugged driving will enhance both education and prevention and provide ways to assess the success of these new efforts over time. Read IBH Commentary. Read National Strategy.

April 13, 2010 South Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Project Featured in Highway to Justice An article on South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project, the innovative court-based management program for DUI offenders, was recently featured in the first American Bar Association (ABA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) newsletter of 2010. Co-authors include IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D., Judge and Former Attorney General of South Dakota Larry Long, and Stephen K. Talpins, CEO of the National Partnership on Alcohol Misuse and Crime. Read more.

March 29, 2010 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Drug-Impaired Driving Report to Congress The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a report to Congress entitled, Drug-Impaired Driving - Understanding the Problem and Ways to Reduce It, in accordance with the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA). The report summarizes a series of studies undertaken by NHTSA on prevention, detection, and prosecution of driving under the influence of drugs; issues associated with determining what drugs impair driving; difficulties in relating blood levels of drugs and impairment; lack of information about what drugs are frequently used by drivers and what drugs elevate crash risk; problems in obtaining representative data about current enforcement, prosecution and adjudication of drug-impaired driving; training for law enforcement officers in recognizing drug-impaired drivers; review of drug-Impaired driving laws, and what is known about the role of drugs as causal factors in traffic crashes. It highlights the need for further research and concludes with recommendations to better address the problem of drug-impaired driving. Read more.

March 12, 2010 Evidence on Cannabis Impairment and Flying Cannabis and Flying which documents cannabis impairment in pilots. Four different studies tracked the level of impairment in pilots as they participated in flying simulations. Cannabis impairment lasted up to 24 hours after smoking. This review has serious implications for dealing with cannabis-related drugged driving and efforts to legalize the drug. It is clear that marijuana has a dangerous impairing effect on users. Read more.

March 9, 2010 Drug-Impaired Driving Due to Prescription Drug Use Stephen K. Talpins, Chief Executive Officer of the National Partnership on Alcohol Misuse and Crime (NPAMC) and IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D., discuss the problem of drug-impaired driving due to prescription drug use in a new IBH commentary. Authors also offer suggestions for how to reduce this ongoing public health and safety problem with a combination of education and law enforcement. Read more.

February 4, 2010 New Study Shows Tough Laws and Treatment are Top Deterrents Against DUI Offenders A University of Montana study that targeted repeat DUI offenders shows that tougher laws and chemical dependency treatment are the strongest deterrents to chronic drunken driving. In Montana where a DUI becomes a felony after the fourth offense, felony DUI offenders say that penalties for initial DUIs are not tough enough. Read more. Read the full report.

February 4, 2010 Europe Takes Lead in Study of Drugged Driving through the DRUID Project of the European Commission In 2003, the European road safety program estimated that over 40,000 people were dying on Europe's roads every year. The program set the ambitious target of cutting the number of road deaths in Europe in half by the end of 2010. The European Commission's DRUID (Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines) project, which provides scientific support to this target, also comes to a close. DRUID is a 5-year study which brings together 37 institutes from 19 European countries. It aims to close the gap that exists in the knowledge about traffic safety in relation to the use of psychoactive drugs and to formulate recommendations for both official policies and practical measures. Read more.

January 20, 2010 Office of National Drug Control Policy Update Features Drugged Driving The new ONDCP Update reports that ONDCP has made reducing drug-impaired driving a priority for 2010 and, as part of the Obama Administration's soon-to-be-released National Drug Control Strategy, is working with the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Justice, and others on new initiatives aimed at getting drug-impaired drivers off the road. Read more.

January 8, 2010 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Releases State-by-State Analysis of Laws Dealing With Driving Under the Influence of Drugs This study by reviewed each State statute regarding drug-impaired driving as of December 2008. There is a high degree of variability across the States in the ways they approach drug-impaired driving. Current laws in many States contain provisions making it difficult to identify, prosecute, or convict drug-impaired drivers. Read more.

December 30, 2009 BH Addresses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2010-2015 Long Range Strategic Planning IBH President Robert L. DuPont, M.D. along with Barry K. Logan, Ph.D., Stephen K. Talpins, J.D., and J. Michael Walsh, Ph.D. responded to NHTSA's request for comment to its long range strategic plans related to drugged driving. These experts describe their recommendations for drugged driving efforts related to public education, enforcement, drug testing, prosecution, courtroom testimony, laws, sentencing, research, and future-based technology. Read more.

December 4, 2009 Presidential Proclamation Announces December as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month In a recent proclamation announcing December, 2009 as the National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, President Barack Obama recognizes the growing problem of drugged driving. Addressing impaired driving, due to drugs and/or alcohol, is a drug policy priority of the Obama Administration. Read more.

November 22, 2009 Cracking Down on Drunken Driving in New York State New York State recently passed a new law to address drunk driving, making it a felony to drive while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle and mandating the use of ignition interlock devices for convicted drunk drivers. IBH supports efforts to reduce drunk driving but encourages states like New York to not overlook the issue of drugged driving. Inspired by recent alcohol and drug-related fatal car crashes, new policies and laws need to include drug use in their definitions of intoxication and prosecute drugged drivers along with drunk drivers. Read more.

November 19, 2009 High Rates of Drugged Driving: Implications for Legalizing Marijuana The California Assembly Committee on Public Safety held a meeting on October 28, 2009 which focused on public safety issues related to legalizing marijuana. A press conference was held immediately prior to this meeting, at which a press release issued by the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc. was read. IBH does not support the legalization of marijuana. The high rate of drugged driving in the U.S. is just one of the many reasons why legalizing marijuana would threaten public safety.Read more.

October 9, 2009 New Police Program for Testing Drunk Driving Officers in Texas and Idaho are undergoing a training program for a new means of testing drunken or drugged driving suspects. This program would allow officers to draw blood from drunken driving suspects. The program seeks to determine whether such practices will be effective in prosecuting drunk drivers and decreasing such occurrences.Read more.

October 6, 2009 Sedatives Included in New Zealand Drink-Driving Act The New Zealand Land Transport Amendment Act of 2009 which passed in June created a new offense for drivers impaired by drugs and introduced compulsory testing for suspected drugged drivers and allowed blood testing for drugs. The government is now bringing forward legislation on drugged driving which will include some sedatives and anti-anxiety medications. Read more.

October 2, 2009 Drug Use Continues to be Significant Danger to Public Health; Overdose Deaths Outnumber Traffic Deaths in 16 States A new report from the Centers for Disease Control puts the enormity of drug deaths into perspective by comparing them to the widely appreciated number of traffic deaths each year. The report shows that more people have died from drug overdoses than traffic deaths in 16 states. The national rate of traffic deaths fell 6.5% since 1999 while overdose deaths nearly doubled in that time. Prescription drugs play a critical role in the number of overdoses and IBH connects this finding to both national drug policy and the role of drugged driving in traffic deaths. Read more.

September 28, 2009 Massachusetts Senator Seeks to Close Drugged Driving Loophole The Massachusetts law which decriminalized marijuana has left a loophole allowing drivers to possess small amounts of marijuana in their vehicles. Senator Scott Brown will bring new legislation to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary to make it illegal for any driver of any age to have marijuana in a car, much like an open container of alcohol. Read more.

September 24, 2009 European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction's New Website Focuses on Drugged Driving EMCDDA launched a newly updated website highlighting drugged driving. The site tracks related projects in the European Union (EU), publications, news and other online resources dealing with drugged driving. Among the website's additions is the latest issue of the Drugs in focus entitled, "Responding to drug driving in Europe." In it, EMCDDA calls for evidence-based and enforceable drugged driving laws and outlines key issues for policymakers and researchers. Read more.

September 23, 2009 Mandatory Alcohol Testing Associated with Reduction in Alcohol-Related Fatal Crashes Among Commercial Drivers Researchers determined the risk of alcohol involvement in fatal crashes among commercial drivers from 1982 through 2006 by comparing the rates of fatal crashes before and after the mandatory alcohol testing program. There was a 23% reduction in fatal crashes that involved alcohol among commercial drivers during the period of testing. Surprisingly this study does not contain data on the relationship of the use of other drugs in fatal crashes even though drug tests are included for a very good reason: drugged driving is a major problem for commercial drivers, as it is for all drivers. Read more.

August 28, 2009 New Study Shows Heavy Use of Marijuana Negatively Impacts Neurocognitive Performance After 28 Day Abstinence: Implications for Drugged Driving Enforcement and Policy How long does marijuana-induced impairment last after marijuana use stops for heavy users? A new study in the journal, Neurology, shows that for a group of heavy marijuana users, cognitive impairment persisted for at least 28 days after use stopped. This study lays a solid foundation for drug-related public safety policies, including drugged driving policies, because it shows the long-lasting negative effects of heavy marijuana use on brain function. Read more.

August 27, 2009 Drugged driving becomes a national priority in the United Kingdom: New education campaign sets precedent for United States The United Kingdom's Department for Transport (DfT) recently launched a £2.3 million campaign to address drugged driving. Entitled THINK! Drug Drive, this campaign reinforces key educational, legal, and policy messages to the public. Read more.

June 23, 2009 Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act Up For Reauthorization One of the provisions of this 2005 legislation called for the development of a national drugged driving policy, increased funds for drugged driving research, and authorization for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a model state statute on drugged driving to encourage states to adopt per se laws. Unfortunately DOT requested a continuation by Congress each ensuing year and nothing resulted. Now SAFE-TEA is up for re-authorization in 2009. This language must be preserved in the 2009 legislation, and preferably, modified. IBH has suggested language for the reauthorization. Comprehensive information on SAFE-TEA can be found at the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration: Read more.

May 15, 2009 NASCAR Implements Random Drug Testing Policy for All Drivers In 2009, NASCAR began implementing its first mandatory drug testing policy. However, NASCAR has not released a list of banned substances to drivers claiming it would provide more leeway. With safety at the root of the issue, National Public Radio's All Things Considered consults sportswriter Stefan Fatsis to examine this issue. Read more.

October 9, 2008 South Africa Drivers Face Saliva Tests Drinking and driving has always been a no-no, but soon motorists stopped at roadblocks around Cape Town will be saliva-tested on top of standard breathalyzer tests, to detect instantly the presence of illegal narcotics. Read more.

October 3, 2008 Drug Driver Deaths in New Zealand Up 50% in the Last Decade Police statistics released to Candor Trust under the Official Information Act show that in the June 2006 - July 2007 year, 59 pot drivers died in (27% of 219 dead drivers tested). Constituting a 50% rise in numbers dying on roads under the influence of cannabis, on a decade ago. In 1998 only 40 drivers were typically killed after cannabis use. Read more.

August 29, 2008 Congress Passes Strict Drugged Driving Law in Peru Congressional representatives in Peru unanimously approved laws to change the punishment for motorists in Peru who are caught driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, establishing that anyone caught driving under the influence of these substances would receive between 2 and 4 years in prison. Modifications to laws also establish that if a drugged driver is providing transportation for one or more passengers, jail time may increase to 4 to 6 years. Read more.

May 18, 2008 A Third of Young Motorists Have Driven While on Drugs Ireland's Independent reveals that almost one in three young drivers drove under the influence of drugs and many drivers blatantly ignore speed limits. About 30% of those under the age of 24 drove under the influence of recreational drugs in their lifetime and almost one in five of drivers under 35 reported driving while stoned. Read more.

March 5, 2008 Crashes vs. Congestion - What's the Cost to Society? The societal cost of crashes is a staggering $164.2 billion annually, nearly two and a half times greater than the $67.6 billion price tag for congestion, according to a new report released today by AAA. Read more.

February 29, 2008 New Booze Buses to Test Drugged Drivers For the first time in New Zealand, police are able to use a booze bus to test and process drugged drivers. Read more.

June 16, 2007 The Drugged Driving Epidemic More than three dozen men, women and children were hurt at a Southeast Washington DC festival in June 2007 by a driver high on crack cocaine. Two days later, another allegedly drug-addicted driver crashed into a crowd of students at a bus stop in La Plata, Maryland, injuring four individuals. Authored by Robert L. DuPont, M.D. and Michael Walsh, Ph.D., this Washington Post article evaluates the status of the drugged driving epidemic. Read more.