1. Influence of Drugs on Driving.
By Leon Swanepoel
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2. CONTENTS: Influence of Drugs on Driving. Continue Introduction.
Illicit Drugs and their influence on driving
Why people take drugs.
Drugs and Driving do not mix.
Steps to prevention and rehabilitation
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3. Influence of Drugs on Driving.
1. Introduction:
Use of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription drugs can make driving a car unsafe. Drugged driving puts the driver, passengers, and others who share the road at risk.
According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 10 million people aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs. Also a higher percentage of young adults aged 18 to 25 drive after taking drugs or drinking.
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4. 2. Illicit Drugs and their influence on driving:
Marijuana: Relaxation, euphoria, disorientation, altered time and space perception, drowsiness, paranoia, image distortion, increased heart rate.
It can cause:
Reduced coordination, Slower reaction times, Confusion
Changes in vision, hearing, and time and space perception
Cocaine: Euphoria, excitation, dizziness, confusion and disoriented behaviour, irritability, paranoia, aggressiveness, increased heart rate.
It can cause:
Lapses of attention, Disorientation, Lack of coordination
Difficulty reacting appropriately to safely control a vehicle
Aggressive, dangerous driving. Increased risk taking, Overconfidence in driving skills
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5. Methamphetamine: Euphoria, excitation, hallucinations, delusions, insomnia, poor impulse control, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure.
It can cause:
Lapses of attention, Disorientation, Lack of coordination
Difficulty reacting appropriately to safely control a vehicle
Aggressive, dangerous driving, Increased risk taking
Drowsiness or rebound fatigue (as the effects wear off)
Morphine & Heroin: Intense euphoria, drowsiness, relaxation, sedation, disconnectedness, mental clouding, depressed heart rate, nausea and vomiting, diminished reflexes.
It can cause:
Slow reaction time, Reduced coordination, Blurred vision
Reduced ability to think clearly, Nausea and vomiting, Drowsiness or starting to 'nod off'
Taking longer to respond to events or situations, and possibly choosing an inappropriate response
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6. 3. Why people take Drugs: Continue
It might seem harmless to experiment with different drugs. Often this is confirmed by the persuasion of friends, social pressures, movies and TV, and your own curiosity.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no category of use that is classed as “only recreational use.” That is what people tell themselves to justify the apparent occasional use of drugs.
The pressures on our lives that can push us into taking drugs are many. Here are a few:
Social pressure.
Financial stress.
Pressure to perform at work and at home.
Depression and anxiety.
Boredom.
Curiosity.
Many people are not always able to deal with these pressures, and think that taking drugs will be a way to escape the pressures of life for a while. Problem is that the drug very soon becomes a more urgent problem and need that must be satisfied.
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7. 4. Drugs and Driving do not mix.
Your body. Drugs have long-lasting effects on your health.
Physical injuries. Under the influence of drugs, you will do things that you wouldn’t normally do.
Violence. Some drugs can increase the likelihood of violent behaviour.
Internal damage. Use of drugs can damage your liver, brain, lungs, throat and stomach.
Addiction. When you take drugs, you will become dependent on them.
Your mental and emotional well-being. Drug use can alter your mood. It can trigger stress or mental illness
Stress. You think that drugs will help you relax and forget stress. But it leads to increased anxiety and stress.
Depression. Feeling low after using some drugs is common.
Mental illnesses. Doctors generally agree that there is a link between drug use and serious mental illnesses.
Legal issues. Making, selling or having illegal drugs in your possession is against the law.
Your job. Drugs use can also affect your ability to concentrate at work.
Financial pressures. Regular drug use can become expensive.
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8. 5. Steps to Prevention and Rehabilitation,
Prevention: In order to begin prevention, we need to know where the biggest risk lies that begins the exposure to drug use or abuse.
Any prevention program should focus on helping people to develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to make good choices and change bad habits. The physical environment must be considered, the cultural backgrounds must be included, and the social environment and pressures must be included for consideration. This means each program will be unique to that area.
Treatment: Addiction treatment must help the person do the following:
stop using drugs
stay drug-free
be productive in the family, at work, and in society 
Successful treatment has several steps:
Detoxification and behavioural counselling.
Medication
Evaluation and treatment for other mental health issues
Long-term follow-up to prevent relapse
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9. Continue Rehabilitation:
Because of the impact drug abuse has on the families, it is important that any treatment program must be part of the rehabilitation process..
Drug rehabilitation programmes require that the person goes through the process of setting goals, and they get counselling and assistance to work towards those goals, and they determine the rewards that they gain when they complete those goals. The setting of goals is vital in realising achievement and progress and motivating the participant to continue and commit further.
Redirection or Change is Important:
Changing a habit can be challenging to many, but once people are shown and taught how they can work on changing bad habits, and the rewards that can be enjoyed from this improved behaviour, they will often progress into a more normal lifestyle that is healthy and rewarding. No person will change another person unless that person wants to change. In the same way no addict will recover unless they want to recover.
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10. You may use this material as an aid to training and development.
Presented as a service to truckers, drivers and fleet owners.
Thank You
You may use this material as an aid to training and development.
©Transport Logistics Consultants.