TY - JOUR

T1 - Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs in the eastern part of Denmark in 2015 and 2016

T2 - Abuse patterns and trends

AU - Simonsen, Kirsten Wiese

AU - Linnet, Kristian

AU - Rasmussen, Brian Schou

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the frequency of psychoactive drugs and alcohol indrivers under suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in 2015 and 2016 in the easternpart of Denmark. The trends in the number of traffic cases sent for drug analysis since 2000 and alcoholanalysis since 2011 are also discussed.Methods: Blood samples from drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or medicationand/or illicit drugs in 2015 and 2016 were investigated as requested by the police. The blood sampleswere screened for alcohol and/or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) alone, for other drugs (covering all drugs,except THC, listed in the Danish list of narcotic drugs), or for THC and other drugs. Age and gender werealso recorded. The number of drug traffic cases since 2000 and the number of alcohol cases since 2011 wereextracted from our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).Results: In total, 11,493 traffic caseswere investigated. Alcohol and/or drugs exceeded the legal limit in 9,657(84%) cases. Men constituted 95% of the drivers investigated for drugs and 88% of the alcohol cases. Thedrivers investigated for drugs consisted primarily of young men, whereas drivers investigated for alcoholwere older.The frequency was higher for positive alcohol cases above the legal limit (87%) than for drug cases (76%)above the fixed concentration limit. THC (67–69%) was the most frequently detected drug above the legallimit, followed by cocaine (27–28.5%), amphetamine (17%), and clonazepam (6–7%) in both years.Morphine(5.4%), included among the 5 most frequent drugs in 2015, was replaced by methadone (4.6%) in 2016. Fewnew psychoactive drugs (NPS) were detected.The number of traffic cases sent for drug analysis has increased more than 30-fold since 2000–2006, and thenumber of traffic cases submitted in 2016 for drug analysis was higher than the number for alcohol analysis;the latter has decreased since 2011.Conclusion: Overall, alcohol was the most frequent compound detected above the legal limit in both years,followed by the well-known illicit drugs THC, cocaine, and amphetamine. NPS were seldom seen. One consequenceof the increased focus on drugs in traffic has been an immense increase in drug traffic cases sentfor analysis since 2006 in the eastern part of Denmark. Although this survey revealed onlyminimal changescompared to earlier investigations, surveys like this are invaluable for monitoring abuse patterns and trendsin drugged and drunken driving.

AB - Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the frequency of psychoactive drugs and alcohol indrivers under suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol in 2015 and 2016 in the easternpart of Denmark. The trends in the number of traffic cases sent for drug analysis since 2000 and alcoholanalysis since 2011 are also discussed.Methods: Blood samples from drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or medicationand/or illicit drugs in 2015 and 2016 were investigated as requested by the police. The blood sampleswere screened for alcohol and/or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) alone, for other drugs (covering all drugs,except THC, listed in the Danish list of narcotic drugs), or for THC and other drugs. Age and gender werealso recorded. The number of drug traffic cases since 2000 and the number of alcohol cases since 2011 wereextracted from our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).Results: In total, 11,493 traffic caseswere investigated. Alcohol and/or drugs exceeded the legal limit in 9,657(84%) cases. Men constituted 95% of the drivers investigated for drugs and 88% of the alcohol cases. Thedrivers investigated for drugs consisted primarily of young men, whereas drivers investigated for alcoholwere older.The frequency was higher for positive alcohol cases above the legal limit (87%) than for drug cases (76%)above the fixed concentration limit. THC (67–69%) was the most frequently detected drug above the legallimit, followed by cocaine (27–28.5%), amphetamine (17%), and clonazepam (6–7%) in both years.Morphine(5.4%), included among the 5 most frequent drugs in 2015, was replaced by methadone (4.6%) in 2016. Fewnew psychoactive drugs (NPS) were detected.The number of traffic cases sent for drug analysis has increased more than 30-fold since 2000–2006, and thenumber of traffic cases submitted in 2016 for drug analysis was higher than the number for alcohol analysis;the latter has decreased since 2011.Conclusion: Overall, alcohol was the most frequent compound detected above the legal limit in both years,followed by the well-known illicit drugs THC, cocaine, and amphetamine. NPS were seldom seen. One consequenceof the increased focus on drugs in traffic has been an immense increase in drug traffic cases sentfor analysis since 2006 in the eastern part of Denmark. Although this survey revealed onlyminimal changescompared to earlier investigations, surveys like this are invaluable for monitoring abuse patterns and trendsin drugged and drunken driving.

U2 - 10.1080/15389588.2018.1428743

DO - 10.1080/15389588.2018.1428743

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29370543

VL - 19

SP - 468

EP - 475

JO - Traffic Injury Prevention

JF - Traffic Injury Prevention

SN - 1538-9588

IS - 5

ER -