November/December Issue 59 - Flipbook - Page 29
D4DRIVERS
THE IMPACT OF ILLICIT DRUG USE
National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week
starts on 22nd March this year. In this
article we will focus on illicit drugs and
the impact of their use in the UK with a
reference to DVLA/law legislation also.
Illicit drugs are those that are illegal to
make, sell or use in the UK. Such drugs
include cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines
and heroin. Recently synthetic drugs such
as “Ecstasy” (MDA) have also made an
unwelcome appearance. Many will argue
that cannabis is “safe” and correctly point
out that it is less addictive than both
alcohol and tobacco. The main counterargument is that it can act as a “step
ladder” towards harder drugs of abuse. The
bottom line is that, whatever your personal
viewpoint, cannabis use is illegal in the
UK (other than as a prescribed medicine).
During these difficult Covid-times illicit
drug use adds to the NHS’s burden. About
100,000 hospital admissions annually in
the UK are related to illicit drug abuse with
an additional 17,000 admissions annually
due to accidental poisoning/overdose. Last
year about 11% of the UK population (aged
15 to 59) used an illicit drug, this rising
to close to 20% in the 16-24 age group.
Individuals may often hide their drug
habit quite effectively but typical tell-tale
signs might include a change in energy
levels (depending on whether “uppers”
or “downers” are in use), rapid and often
volatile mood swings, social withdrawal from
friends and family members and personal
neglect. Funding of an expensive drug habit
can lead to illegal activity such as petty theft.
Happily, there are effective treatment
options available - contacting Narcotics
Anonymous is a good start. Usually
treatment will involve either inpatient
or
community
rehabilitation
with
psychotherapy playing a part. Sometimes
(legal) drugs are used e.g. methadone
in the treatment of heroin addiction.
The DVLA take a predictably hard-line on
illicit drug abuse. Single substance abuse
with cannabis or amphetamines has to be
reported to the DVLA and usually leads to
a minimum of 6 months Licence revocation
(Group 1) rising to a year for Group 2. There
has to be evidence that addiction has been
successfully treated and normally there is the
need for a DVLA medical assessment prior
to returning to the wheel. For “harder” drugs
such as heroin these revocation periods
generally rise to 1 & 3 years respectively.
Incredibly it is over 50 years since the
(alcohol) breathalyser was introduced in
the UK. Since 2015 the police have the
power to do kerbside drug tests on drivers
suspected of drug-driving - usually a saliva
or breath test for cocaine & cannabis (bear
in mind that a “joint” the previous evening
might lead to testing positive the following
morning). Whatever the result of initial
testing if the police remain suspicious they
have the right to invite you to the police
station to undergo further drug testing. If
found guilty the penalties tend to be similar
to those for drink driving i.e. hefty fines
and lengthy driving bans. Not to mention
the devastating effect it can have on
future employability and vehicle insurance.
There are many parallels between
alcohol and illicit drugs when it comes to
professional driving, but whilst with alcohol
the approach might be “in moderation”
and “at the right time” the illicit drug
equivalent should surely be “never”.
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