Whenever you get in the car and drive anywhere these days, you’re likely to be sharing the road with a number of “drugged drivers.”
Just a little bit of research tells us why.
According to the National institues of Health (see cancer.gov), 39.6% of men and women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. That’s nearly 6 out of 10 people. If you’re dealing with cancer, pain is often part of that nasty ordeal.
Then you add those with chronic, daily pain to the mix.
The numbers of those who suffer with autoimmune diseases, work-related, or accident-related injuries keeps growing.
There are a staggering number of folks who need pain meds on a daily basis just to function. Add driving to that mix, and the combination can be deadly.
Gen X, Z, and Millenials are not the only culprits when it comes to drugged driving or driving under the influence of drugs — DUID!
According to drugabuse.gov, those 50 or older were responsible for more than 25% of deadly drugged driving car crashes in 2010!
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving
It reminds me of the days when we were faithfully checking on an older, fiercely-independent relative. Unfortunately she was on so many pills, she would forget and take pills at the wrong time or in the wrong combinations. Then she would get behind the wheel to run “just a little errand.”
We were worried out of our ever-loving minds! Especially since we lived over an hour away, our options were limited.
She needed a safe strategy for opiods and driving! Does that sound like you?
Prescription pain medications are a hotly-debated topic across all income levels and walks of life.
However, when it comes to the law, the only debate is how stiff your penalty will be if you are caught and charged with a DUID.
“It’s not an acceptable defense to a drugged driving charge to claim that the driver is legally entitled to use the controlled substance. “ (dui.drivinglaws.org)
In other words, your doctor’s prescription will not get you off the hook! That’s what made us shake in our boots when our loved one was behind the wheel loaded with meds.
We didn’t want to see her spend the last of her days surrounded by orange jumpsuits and prison walls! She had lived and loved too well to deserve that!
In Missouri, driving while using a controlled substance is a CRIME.
There are no simple answers to this problem — no one-size-fits-all drug test. Everyone reacts differently to meds.
If you are battling cancer or chronic pain, you don’t need to face criminal charges on top of that pile of stress! Even a good criminal defense lawyer is going to have his work cut out for him to get your sentence reduced.
Here are a few strategy tips to avoid a drugged driving charge:
Plan to drive drug-free and avoid traffic violations!
Time your pain meds so that you can run errands or make doctors’ visits without a recent pill. Squelch your inner speed demon, too! Our loved one had a lead foot. No wonder we did some nail-biting!
Right now you don’t normally risk having to be tested for drugs from the day prior if you were to be stopped for a traffic violation.
Like seat-belt laws, that may change. Unfortunately some pain meds show up in your system for days after taking them.
Network with friends and family for a ride when you can’t live without pain relief long enough to drive.
Pick up the phone and call. That’s a tough position to be in — no doubt about it! Your loved ones would much rather you reach out than to hear that you are facing drug charges.
Short on local friends and family? Reach out to a community organization or church for help.
If you or a loved one are facing DUID charges/ drugged driving charges in the state of Missouri, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney by your side.
The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC is well-versed in local and state law for Missouri drug charges. Experience matters in getting a reduction of sentence for you! Call 636-244-3737 for a free consultation today.
This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.