Introduction to
Drugged Driving
What is a “Drug”?
• Working Definition of “Drug:
– Any substance that, when taken into the human
body, can impair the ability of the person to
operate a vehicle safely
2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:
National Findings
• 8.7% of the population aged 12 years or older
were current illicit drug users
• Marijuana continues to be the most
commonly used illicit drug
• 6.7 million people were users of
psychotherapeutic drugs taken non
medically
• Estimated 1.4 million persons were current
Cocaine users
Facts
• University of Tennessee found 40% of crash
injured drivers had drugs other than alcohol in
them
• The Maryland Shock Trauma Center found
nearly one third of crash injured drivers had
recently used marijuana
What are Drugs ?
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CNS Depressants
CNS Stimulants
Hallucinogens
Dissociative Anesthetics
Narcotic Analgesics
Inhalants
Cannibas
CNS Depressants
• CNS depressants slow down the operations of the brain. They
usually depress the heartbeat, blood pressure, respiration and
many other processes controlled by the brain
• Barbiturates
• Non-Barbiturates
• Anti-Anxiety Tranquilizers
• Anti-Depressants
• Muscle relaxants and many other drugs
• Common Types:
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Klonopine, Soma, Depakote
Rohypnol, Restorile, Zoloft
Xanax, Dilatin, Serazone
Wellbutrin, Zyprexa, Reglan
General Indicators of CNS Depressant
Influence
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“Drunken” behavior and appearance
Uncoordinated
Drowsy
Sluggish
Disoriented
Thick, slurred speech
Pupil size usually normal (except that the drug
Methaqualone and Soma usually cause pupils to
dilate)
CNS Stimulants
• Accelerate the heart rate, respiration and
many other processes of the body
• Two most widely abused kinds of CNS
Stimulants are cocaine and
methamphetamines
• Common Types:
– Ritalin, Adderall, Didrex
– Kava, Ectasy, Sudafed Cold Medicines
General Indicators of CNS
Stimulant Influence
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Restlessness
Talkative
Excitation
Euphoria
Exaggerated
reflexes
• Loss of
appetite
• Anxiety
• Grinding teeth
• Redness of
nasal area
• Runny nose
• Body tremors
Hallucinogens
• Drugs that affect a person’s perceptions, sensations,
thinking, self awareness, and emotions. All hallucinogens
impair the user's ability to perceive the world as it really
is.
• Common Types:
– Mushrooms, LSD, Spice
– K2, Excretion from Colorado River toad,DXM
– Ectasy, Ketamine,
Synesthesia
• Transposing of the senses
–Sounds, for example, may be
transposed into sights
–Sights, for example, may be
transposed into odors or sounds
General Indicators of Hallucinogen
Influence
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Hallucinations
Dazed appearance
Body tremors
Uncoordinated
Perspiring
Disorientation
Paranoia
Difficulty in speech
Nausea
Piloerection
Dissociative Anesthetics
• Originally developed for use as an anesthetic, PCP is
a powerful drug that in some ways acts like a
depressant, in other ways like a stimulant, and in still
other ways like an hallucinogen
• Dissociative Anesthetics are powerful anesthetics.
However, they also cause bizarre and sometimes
violent behavior.
• Dextromethorphan, DXM-Cough Suppressant
• PCP
• Ketamine
General Indicators of Dissociative
Anesthetic Influence
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Warm to the touch
Perspiring
Blank stare
Repetitive speech
Incomplete verbal responses
Confused
Muscle rigidity
Possibly violent and combative
Narcotic Analgesics
• A large number of drugs that share three important
characteristics
– Relieve pain
– Produce withdrawal signs and symptoms
– Suppress the withdrawal signs and symptoms of chronic
morphine administration
• Common Types:
– Heroin, Buprenex, Codeine
– Tramadol, Methadone, Sublimaze
– Fentanyl, Demerol, Morphine
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General Indicators of Narcotic
Analgesic Influence
“On the nod”
Droopy eyelids
Depressed reflexes
Dry mouth
Facial itching
Low, raspy speech
Fresh puncture marks may be
evident
Inhalants
• Some inhalants include psychoactive chemicals that produce a
variety of effects. Others exert their major effect by blocking the
passage of oxygen to the brain.
• Breathable chemicals that produce mind-altering effects
• Inhalants generally fall into one of three categories:
– Volatile Solvent
– Aerosol
– Anesthetic Gas
• Common Types:
– Dust-off, paint, any aerosol spray,
• Often referred to as “HUFFING”
General Indicators of Inhalant Influence
• Disorientation
• Slurred speech
• Residue of substance on face, hands,
clothing
• Confusion
• Possible nausea
Cannabis
• Marijuana and other Cannabis products impair
the attention process. Ability to perform divided
attention tasks diminishes under the influence
of Cannabis.
• Marijuana
• Hashish
• Hash Oil
• THC
• Skywalker, Trainwreck
• AK-47, Sour Bubble
General Indicators of Cannabis
Influence
• Marked reddening of the
Conjunctivae
• Body tremors
• Odor of marijuana
• Disoriented
• Relaxed inhibitions
• Difficulty in dividing attention
Poly Drug Use
• Combination of any two or more of the drug
categories.
• any combination of drugs may act together in four
general ways.
– Null Effect -The combination of no action plus no action
equals no action.
• Null Effect: The combination of no action plus no action equals no
action.
• EXAMPLE OF NULL EFFECTS: CNS Stimulant and
Narcotic Analgesic.
• Neither drug causes nystagmus, there-fore you will not
see nystagmus with this combination.
Poly Drug Use
– Overlapping - Each drug may affect the suspect in
some different way. In combination, both effects may
appear.
• Overlapping Effect: Action plus no action equals action.
• EXAMPLE OF OVERLAPPING EFFECTS: Dissociative Anesthetic
and Narcotic Analgesic. Dissociative Anesthetic will enhance
nystagmus, while a Narcotic Analgesic does not cause
nystagmus. There-fore, you will see nystagmus.
– Additive - The two drugs may independently produce
some similar effects. In combination, these effects
may be enhanced.
• Additive Effect: Action plus the same action reinforces the
action.
Poly Drug Use
• Additive Effect: Action plus the same action reinforces the action.
• EXAMPLE OF ADDITIVE EFFECTS: Stimulants and
Hallucinogens both cause pupil dilation. Pupils would be dilated.
– Antagonistic - The two drugs may produce some effects
that are exactly opposite. In combination, these effects
may mask each other.
• Antagonistic Effect: Action versus opposite action can’t predict the
outcome.
• EXAMPLE OF ANTAGONISTIC EFFECTS: A CNS Stimulant usually
causes pupil dilation, a narcotic usually causes constriction. It is
possible that someone who is simultaneously under the influence
of a stimulant and a narcotic may have pupils that are nearly
normal in size. It is also possible that the suspect's pupils may be
dilated at one time, and then become constricted, as the effects of
one drug diminish while the effects of the other increase.
How Do I Determine if a Person is
under the influence of Drugs
• Standardized Field Sobriety Instructor
• Certified Drug Recognition Expert
• Standardized Field Sobriety Test-3 test
– Once determined alcohol is not intoxicant-DRE
evaluation
– DRE Evaluation
• 12 Step evaluation that includes several different things
DRE Evaluation
• Step 1 - Breath Alcohol Test
• Step 2 – Interview of Arresting Officer
• Step 3 – Preliminary Examination
– First Pulse
– Initial Estimate of Pupil Size
– Initial Angle of Onset
• Step 4 – Eye Examination – HGN
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Lack of Smooth Pursuit
Distinct and Sustained Nystagmus at Maximum Deviation
Angle of Onset
Vertical Nystagmus
Lack of Convergence
DRE Evaluation
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Step 5 – Divided Attention Test
1. Romberg Balance
3. One Leg Stand
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2. Walk and Turn
4. Finger to Nose
Step 6 – Vital Signs – Second Pulse
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PULSE 60-90 b.p.m
BLOOD PRESSURE
120-140 – Systolic
70 – 90 - Diastolic
BODY TEMPERATURE
98.6 F +/- 1.0 F
DRE Evaluation
• 7. Dark Room Checks
– Pupil Size
• Room Light – Avg 4.0 2.5-5.0
• Near Total Darkness – Ang 6.5 5.0-8.5
• Direct Light – Avg – 3.0 2.0-4.5
– Ingestion Examination
Nasal Area
Oral Cavity
• 8. Check for Muscle Tone
• 9. Check for Injection Sites –
– Third Pulse
• 10. Interrogation of Subject-Observations
• 11. Opinion of Evaluator
• 12. Toxicological Sample
How do drugs affect the body
• Normal chemicals in body that reglate,
temperature, blood pressure, brain activity
and other body functions.
• When a drug, which is not produced by the
body, is taken, the body immediately begins to
create endorphins to combat the “new”
stranger invader into the body.
Question ??????