#illegaldriving

[thirteen13viii]

Taper. Taper. Taper. Practice makes perfect. 4 months a barber and counting...whilst driving home a new German whip pulled up alongside my car, with a lovely lad asking for an appointment: oh so this is what I actually do now...like properly #illegaldriving #barber #ukbarber #wahl #fade #fade #mensstyle

[mycargossip-blog]

Could painkillers make you an illegal driver?

Warning: May cause drowsiness. Do not take before driving”. I bet everyone reading this blog has read that message on almost all their medication, prescription or not. Once, I saw that message on a bottle of Calpol. Calpol for under 6s. Now, I understand driving while drowsy can potentially be dangerous. But, if you’ve got an under-6 at the wheel, I don’t think the danger comes from them being “under the influence”! 

Considering I’ve seen labels about drowsiness so often, I’m not sure why I was surprised to read that the government are planning to crack down on driving under the influence of drugs, both illegal or legal. And when I saw that, I was worried to find out that one of the drugs under consideration is codeine, which is a key part of many painkillers, like Nurofen Plus, which contains 12.8mg of codeine. Pure codeine is actually a controlled drug (class B), though obviously Nurofen Plus itself passes the government regulations by having a relatively small amount, and being diluted by other, less strong painkillers. Still, it’s food for thought that you can be convicted of DUI (Driving Under Influence), not just without drinking any alcohol, but also without using any form of illegal, or prescribed drugs.

The main trouble with all types of drugs is that it can be very difficult to predict how individuals will respond, and so the key thing, as always, is to be aware of how you feel and how safe you are to drive. For most people, a standard adult dose of Nurofen Plus won’t do anything to affect your driving, and the fact that you aren’t driving while in pain is more likely to help, than the fact you are taking a drug with sedative effects would hinder. But you should be aware so that you don’t go over the recommended dose on the package, and also be aware that some people (particularly those over 65) are more likely to be strongly affected by the drug.

What is actually more dangerous is when you start strong long-term medication. Strong painkillers like Oxytocin or Fentanyl can only be prescribed by your doctor. In that case, he/she should advise you about your ability to drive safely, and like for standard painkillers you should also keep an eye on how you feel at all times. It is recommended that you wait five days after you start strong painkillers before driving again, so that your body can become used to the drug.

You could also consider taking your first drive in quiet areas that you know well, so you can see how you drive, or even asking a friend who also drives to come with you and then they can keep an eye on your driving too. One of the main dangers is not from the drug itself, but if you mix it with another drug that also causes a drowsy affect, such as an over-the-counter hayfever medication, or indeed alcohol. In that case, neither drug is dangerous in itself, but the combination could cause dangerous levels of drowsiness.  For even stronger medication, like that prescribed for insomnia, or ADHD, they recommend waiting four weeks to see how the drugs will affect you, but your doctor would tell you that before giving you the drug in question.

So the tighter restrictions on drug use that might be introduced aren’t as worrying as they seem – they’ll mostly affect people who are on illegal drugs like heroin or cocaine, which have a much greater effect on driving than over-the-counter medication. But, as a summary, here are my top five things to consider before driving if you’ve taken any form of medication:

1)      Assess how you feel. Lots of factors can change how drugs affect you, so it’s very hard to have a one-size-fits-all policy.

2)      Wait a little bit before driving, so your body can get used to the drug. In the case of over-the-counter painkillers, 30minutes or 1 hour would be enough – but if it’s a strong medication from a doctor, you might want to wait a few days

3)      Don’t mix drugs if you can help it – either mixing two over-the-counter drugs, or in particular mixing drugs with alcohol.

4)      Don’t go over the recommended dosage on the packet, which is designed to be the safe level for most people, and should be a low enough dose to allow safe driving.

5)      If you’re worried, either don’t drive or ask your doctor for advice.