Many Americans Drive Under Influence of Drugs
A report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration shows that nine million Americans a year
drive while under the influence of illegal drugs.
The report found that police efforts to identify, arrest, and treat
drivers on drugs have been hindered by weak state laws and, until
recently, a lack of quick and reliable drug tests.
"Driving under the influence of drugs is a growing national problem,
particularly among young people, but drugged drivers are not detected
nearly as often as drunk drivers," said Michael Walsh, lead author of the
study and president of the Walsh Group consulting firm.
The report was based on a nationwide survey conducted in 1999 for the
Department of Health and Human Services. Participants were asked whether
they had driven within two hours after using marijuana or cocaine.
The report recommends that states enact criminal laws that set strict
standards on the presence of drugs in a driver's body, similar to those
used to determine a driver's blood-alcohol level.
Currently, only eight states have laws that forbid driving with any
measurable amount of illegal drugs in the system. They are Arizona,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Utah.
The report is the first comprehensive look at drugged driving and the
state laws that address it.|||
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Addiction Drug Trials Exceed Expectations
Clinical trials to test a new drug for people addicted to heroin have
ended sooner than expected because the drug exceeded the criteria needed
to show it worked.
The drug, BritLofex, proved its effectiveness in reducing
heroin-withdrawal symptoms, including chills, sweating, stomach cramps,
vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and runny nose and eyes.
Studies will now be conducted to determine the best dose and the minimum
effective dose of the drug.
BritLofex, which is made by Britannia Pharmaceuticals Limited of London,
England, also must receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.|||
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