Citation

Musshoff F, Banaschak S, Madea B. Blutalkohol 2001; 38(5): 325-335.

Affiliation

Institut fur Rechtsmedizin, D-53111 Bonn, Germany

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

As the number of methadone substituted drug users increases, more and more people are found to participate in road traffic under the influence of methadone. During the years from 1997 to 2000 methadone was detected in the blood of 98 road users (83% males) aged between 20 and 49 (the average age being 30.8) whose medium concentration was 170 ng/ml (10-755 ng/ml). In only 4 cases was methadone the sole intoxicating agent, in most cases one additional agent (26 cases), two additional agents (31), three (29) four (7) or even five (1) additional intoxicating agents could be found. The most common of these were benzodiazepines (in 58% of the cases) followed by morphine (42%), alcohol (37%), cannabinoids (32%), cocaine (27%), anti-depressants (4%) and amphetamines (1%). In more than 70% of the cases substitution methadone treatment was performed under the supervision of a doctor. In only five cases did the road users not have a valid driving licence. Further findings suggest that in 64% of the cases there was a relative inability to drive from the medico-toxicological point of view and in an additional 31% of the cases a relative inability to drive could not be ruled out. The question arises to what extent the guidelines used for testing the ability to obtain a driving licence are being followed. These suggest that this ability may be confirmed only after successful methadone substitution for at least one year, the exclusion of additional intoxicating agent intake, proof of personal responsibility as well as therapeutic compliance and the absence of personality disorders.