How Often Are These Types Of Cases Seen Involving Prescription Medications?
At this point in time, we see more arrests for driving under the influence of drugs, in particular, prescription medication. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that there is an increased use in our population as a whole who take more prescription medications.
Anyone who has ever had a prescription medication from the doctor knows that on the bottle there is a little picture of sleepy eyes or a warning that says, “Don’t operate heavy equipment.” That means don’t drive a car if you are affected by that particular medication.
Certain age groups in particular are in need of more medication nowadays. We see more and more people stopped, detained and arrested for driving under the influence of medication.
In addition to more prescriptions, we are also seeing increased enforcement by police. The police departments, whether it’s California Highway Patrol or the Los Angeles Police Department, have officers undergoing additional training to be able to screen for drugs and medications while they are doing a DUI investigation.
The more officers that are getting trained and learning how to screen properly for drugs, the more drug investigations and arrests are taking place. There is also additional funding that’s been provided at the federal, state and local level for DUI drug investigation. The more money that’s put into DUI drug enforcement, the more stops and arrests we will see.
Is There a Typical Type of Client Seen in These Cases More Often Than Others?
Looking at prescription medication DUIs, there is no typical client. DUIs, in general, can happen to anybody at any time. The same thing holds true with prescription DUIs or drug DUIs. It really spans the entire spectrum from 18 years old to 80 years old or even older.
A DUI with prescription medication can happen to anybody, and many times it comes into play when somebody is involved in an accident. People are honest. When a police officer arrives on the scene and starts to do an investigation, they ask if the person is taking any medication and the person says, “Yes.”
The person may be 18 years old and suffering from a sports injury and taking pain medication or it could be somebody who is in their 70s and is under doctor’s care for chronic back pain or blood pressure. That medication can have side effects and can arguably cause impairment which results in a DUI arrest and a court case. That’s being seen across the board.
As far as particular demographics, the largest population group that’s actually growing is in the 40 to 60 years old age range. More people in this age range are being stopped and arrested for prescription medication. This usually comes after a DUI checkpoint or after a minor traffic accident or something similar.
You don’t actually see impaired driving typically. People are usually driving fine and they are under a therapeutic dose, following the prescription guidelines of the doctor. However, officers may not be able to distinguish or tell the difference between somebody who’s been shaken up because of an accident or somebody who is under the influence of medication.
Prescription Medication DUI Cases Are Becoming Very Common. If you are facing a Drug DUI Charge In California, call the law office of Attorney Mark Rosenfeld for a free initial consultation at (310) 424-3145 and get the information and legal answers you’re seeking.
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