Prevalence of drugs among drivers arrested for drinking and driving in Finland

A combined thin layer and gas chromatography system was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of drugs in biological samples after extraction with heptane-isoamyl alcohol. Both acidic and basic extraction procedures were used. Special methods were used for the extraction and detection of salicylates, isoniazid, and morphine. Particular attention was given to the detection of psychostimulants; though these drugs have seldom been found in drinking drivers in Finland they are commonly found in Sweden. Two percent of all suspected drinking drivers were also suspected of concommitant drug use, which led to primary sampling of urine. Of 100 such drivers, 24 had blood alcohol levels (BALs) which were negative and 18 of that 24 had drugs in their sample. Seventy-six of the 100 had positive BALs and 25 of the 76 had drugs in their samples. Of the randomly chosen 100 suspected drinking drivers, 5 had drugs in their samples, and 4 of these 5 had positive BALs. The benzodiazeomes were the most commonly detected drugs. No stimulants were found in our subjects.