How well do you know your drugs?
I'm not talking about so-called recreational drugs like cannabis, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, etc., but about seemingly harmless, over-the-counter and subscription medications. There is growing concern about the dangerous effects of various combinations of some of them with respect to driving.
A recent study has revealed that the vast majority of drivers over the age of 55 take various medications and most are unaware of the potential dangers.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, released details last month of a new study that showed 95 per cent of respondents over the age of 55 had a medical condition, 78 per cent of them take medications and only 28 per cent were aware of the potential impact on driving performance.
Only 18 per cent indicated they had received a warning from a health care professional about driver-impairing medications like ACE inhibitors, sedatives and beta blockers.
The study involved 630 licensed drivers between the ages of 55 and 93. It found that the number of medications taken increased with age, but the level of awareness of potential driving-related problems decreased.
More than two-thirds of respondents currently use one or more potentially driver-impairing prescription medications and 10 per cent use five or more.
“Health care professionals need to educate patients about their potentially driver-impairing medications to help them make safe driving decisions,” says Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation president and chief executive officer. “With the number of drivers 55 years of age and older expected to increase by more than half by 2030, this issue will only continue to grow unless measures are taken to increase awareness about medications that can impact safe driving.”
While alcohol has traditionally been the focus of attention when it comes to impaired driving,the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said that a multi-state study of fatal crashes found 18 per cent of the drivers involved had drugs other than alcohol in their system – almost equally split between prescription and illegal drugs.
But what is becoming of greater concern is the role played by drug interaction – combining drugs.
With thousands of drugs on the market and the majority of mature people taking at least one and commonly more, the possible number of combinations is impossible to calculate.
Add alcohol to the mix and the situation gets worse. Alcohol is a known depressant. When it is combined with another depressant, such as sedatives or tranquilizers, the effects are not just added together, they are multiplied. Depressants slow reaction times, distort perceptions and decrease the ability to co-ordinate reactions.
On the other hand, stimulants, which include pep and diet pills, can give a driver a false sense of confidence, leading to an increased likelihood of taking risks. But this effect is short-lived and followed by fatigue, nervousness, dizziness and a lack of concentration.
Narcotics such as morphine and codeine, used to relieve pain or depress mental functions, are not only addictive; they produce euphoria in the user.
Another side effect is that they reduce the ability of the eye to react to light so driving skills are impaired much the same way as they would be under the influence of sedatives.
It is important to read labels and be wary of combining any of them with other medications or alcohol. If your doctor prescribes a drug or you are picking up an over-the-counter medication, ask about the effect on your driving and possible interaction with other drugs.
Halifax-based Richard Russell runs a driving school.
globeauto@globeandmail.com
