[Detection of drugs and pharmaceuticals in suspected drivers]

The report describes a study on impaired drivers undertaken at the Institute for Legal Medicine of the University of the Saarland. The objective of the study was to obtain an insight into the frequency of drug use in addition to the use of other impairing pharmaceuticals. In 86 per cent of the checked blood samples only alcohol was detected. 10 per cent of the blood samples were found to be positive for drugs and other pharmaceuticals as well as alcohol. 4 per cent of the blood samples were found to be negative for alcohol but positive for drugs and other pharmaceuticals as well as alcohol. 4 percent of the blood samples were found to be negative for alcohol but positive for drugs and other pharmaceuticals. Polytoxicomania was found to be a wide-spread phenomenon and the BACs analyzed, often very high. The results of the study were compared with those of a Swiss and a U.S. American study. The former study was based on blood samples sent in by the police who suspected that the drivers in question had been under the influence of drugs or pharmaceuticals. In the latter study blood samples of fatally injured drivers had been analysed. Although the results were found to correlate quite often, a number of differences were also found.