King's College. UK: A new law on driving after taking certain drugs has come into
force in England and Wales. This law states that it is an offence to
drive with certain controlled drugs (including some medicines) above
specified blood levels in the body.
Dr Kim Wolff, Reader in Addiction Science at King’s College London
and an advisor for the Government drug drive policy, led an independent
panel of experts who made recommendations about which drugs to include
in the new regulations.
Commenting on the new law, Dr Kim Wolff said: 'The drug driving
offence covers both illegal drugs and a number of medicinal drugs used
to treat anxiety and pain. Drivers should also be aware that drinking
alcohol whilst taking some of these drugs can heighten the risk of a
road traffic collision.'
Dr Wolff added: 'There is an increasing amount of scientific
evidence about the prevalence of drug-use in our driving populations and
the extent to which driving under the influence of drugs has an impact
on road safety, with some indication that drug-driving may be a
contributing factor in 200 deaths per year in the general driving
population.
We are particularly concerned about the need to raise awareness
among the general public about the risks associated with drug-driving,
especially the elevated risks when psychoactive drugs are consumed with
alcohol, and recommend that this is a key road safety issue and should
be addressed as a priority.'
More information on the drugs that are included in the new legislation can be found on the Drug Driving Regulations webpage.
Advice for patients can be found on the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) leaflet.
Guidance for healthcare professionals is available here.
Visit www.gov.uk/drug-driving-law for further information.