Tiger Woods arrest emphasizes danger of ‘drugged driving’
By now, the whole world has seen Tiger Woods’s mug shot, showing the former golfing champion with a blank, dazed look on his face.
And you probably heard that he said he had not been drinking. In fact, the breath test police gave Woods when he arrived at the station registered zero. The golfer said the only things he had taken were a mix of Rx drugs prescribed by his doctor after back surgery.
That would make Woods the latest in a new kind of DUI. Only the “influence” isn’t wine, beer or hard liquor, but meds that are quite legally prescribed.
All it can take is to be stopped by an officer while driving after using one — or more — of numerous Rx drugs, and you could end up in front of a judge.
And you won’t be released with just a slap on the wrist, either.
Just by following your doctor’s orders, you could end up losing your license… or even going to jail.
While we always used to associate DUI with driving drunk, unbelievably, driving under the influence of Rx drugs is fast catching up.
Crashes from “drugged” rather than “drunk” drivers have actually doubled over the last ten years. And it looks like that increase isn’t slowing down one bit.
While the video of Woods’s arrest shows the former champion attempting to walk a straight line, unable to talk coherently or even tie his shoe, you don’t have to be that bad off to be considered “impaired.”
And while you may think you’re up to par as you get behind the wheel, you may just find yourself wheel-deep in a sand trap.
So many are now driving under the influence of common prescription drugs (Woods said he had taken several, including the pain med Vicodin), that police officers are being trained to recognize the difference between having taken legal pills and having had too much to drink.
Some of the top contenders that can make any average citizen not safe behind the wheel include:
- Sleeping meds, like Ambien, which can easily carry over to the next day, turning your ability to drive into a bad dream. Last year, researchers from the University of Alabama analyzed data on over 2,000 drivers, and found that anyone who takes zolpidem (the generic name for Ambien and Intermezzo) is 50 percent more likely to crash. And if you’re over 80, taking that med the night before will up your risk of having an accident by a giant 124 percent!
- Antidepressants, which can make you drowsy. But even if you feel fully awake, they can slow down your reaction time when you need it the most — like hitting the brakes when someone pulls in front of you suddenly.
- Pain meds, such as the opioid Vicodin (one of the meds Woods said he had taken), or Percocet. While some of the “common” side effects, such as dizziness, drowsiness and blurred vision, can make getting behind the wheel risky enough, combining them in a “cocktail” with other drugs is even worse than the kind served up in a bar where driving is concerned.
And a DUI doesn’t only come from Rx meds. Even the FDA is warning about OTC ones and how they can damage your ability to operate a car safely.
You know that antihistamines can make you nod off, but a real shocker on the FDA’s driving-danger list is the OTC drug for diarrhea, Imodium! As I told you last month, this common med is actually an opioid. And if you read the fine print on the box, it warns about “drowsiness” and “dizziness.”
Obviously, we can’t control what the “other guy” is doing. But to protect yourself and your family — especially with so many drugged drivers on the road — having all your wits about you is of utmost importance when you’re in control of a car. And that means taking as few meds as possible.
If you must take a drug, be sure and carefully read any label warnings — and don’t get behind the wheel after taking one that cautions against driving, “operating heavy machinery,” drowsiness or “next day impairment.”
“Tiger Woods blames DUI arrest on prescription medications” Barry Svrluga, May 29, 2017, The Washington Post, washingtonpost.com
