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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Doctors aim to raise awareness over the dangers of drug-driving
Tim Pauling Press and Journal
Wednesday 13 Mar 2002 Scottish doctors will warn today that legal as well as illegal drugs can have the same deadly effect on drivers as alcohol. The British Medical Association in Scotland is to call on the Scottish Parliament to encourage debate and encourage more research to establish effective testing devices and increase public awareness of the dangers of drug-driving. To help with the debate the BMA launched a new web resource - www.bma.org.uk - outlining the current legal position and associated issues. Between the 1980s and 1990s the number of people involved in fatal road accidents who tested positive for cannabis has increased fourfold (3% - 12%) with detection of illegal drugs overall increasing from 3% to 18%. The BMA fears this number will rise given the increasing use of drugs. Drug Misuse Statistics 2001 reported that 36% of 16 to 24 year-olds in Scotland said they had taken drugs. In a separate survey of club-goers, 69% had taken cannabis and 85% of these had at some time driven after using illegal drugs. Developing an effective de-vice to assess the effects of drugs on driving ability is extremely complex. Levels of drugs in the body, degrees of impairment and how long a drug remains in the body all need to be eval-uated, said the BMA. Alcohol often exaggerates the effects of other drugs so any testing device would also need to measure the potential effect of a drug when consumed with alcohol, or drugs consumed in combination. Cannabis is the most fre-quently detected illicit drug in accident fatalities and is known to impair co-ordination, visual perception, tracking and vigi-lance. Yet findings relating the effects of cannabinoids on driving skills and road safety are not conclusive. Dr Bill O'Neill, Scottish sec-retary of the BMA said: 'Whatever action the Government takes on drug driving it is essential that it is accompanied by a public awareness campaign. 'People generally accept that you shouldn't drink and drive but probably have no idea about the effects of drugs and their driving ability. "We're not just talking about illegal drugs but prescribed ones too, Millions of people regularly take drugs such as anti-depres-sants painkillers, antihistamines and cough mixtures, all of which can have a sedative effect. 'However, a balance needs to be struck between the symp-toms of an illness and the risk of the effects of taking medication. For example, the sedative risk of antihistamines needs to be bal-anced against the risks of drivi-ng with watering eyes and sneezing. When in doubt, advice should be sought." Driving while unfit under the influence of drugs is an offence and a driver faces the same penalties as those who drive under the influence of alcohol. However, the law does not state any legal limit for drugs as it does for alcohol. The BMA said it was difficult to enforce legislation, as there were no drug-testing devices that could effectively prove driving impairment due to drugs. Dr John Rankin, member of the BMA's Scottish GP committee and police surgeon in Forth Valley said: "Roadside testing is being piloted in this area where the driver has to complete a number of simple tests to ascertain if they are under the influence of drugs. "These tests are not conclusive and as a police surgeon I can be called in to take samples if a roadside tests raises suspicions that drugs may have been taken.'
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