NCJ Number
111481
Date Published
1987
Length
34 pages
Annotation
In society that is both mobile and drug-oriented, drug and alcohol use and misuse pose a major traffic safety problem.
Abstract
Alcohol and marijuana are the two drugs most frequently implicated in accidents. All abused drugs can affect driving performance, as can many prescription drugs. People may use drugs for various reasons including self-exploration, religious practice, creativity enhancement, peer pressure, or medical treatment for disease. Depressants (alcohol, barbiturates, and barbiturate-like narcotics) produce effects ranging from relaxation and euphoria in low doses to coma and death in high doses. They may give drivers a false sense of confidence; affect motor coordination, vision, and judgment; and reduce the ability to react in an emergency. Stimulants, such as amphetamines and cocaine, stimulate the central nervous system and may give drivers a sense of power, concentration, and improved performance. Abuse of hallucinogens can have unpredictable results. Marijuana use has been found to impair driving abilities, and a combination of alcohol and marijuana may have unpredictable synergistic effects that pose a driving hazard. Glossary, tables of licit and illicit drugs with their uses and effects, and 27 references.