SOFT 2004 Meeting Abstracts - Society of Forensic Toxicologists

B13
CONCENTRATION OF DRUGS IN BLOOD OF SUSPECTED IMPAIRED DRIVERS
Marc Augsburger*\ Nicolas Donze 2 , Annick Menetreyl, Clarisse Brossard l , Frank Sporkert\ Christian
Giroud l and Patrice Mangini : I Institut Universitaire de Medecine Legale, Lausanne, Switzerland; 2
Consilia, Sion, Switzerland
Blood has been undoubtedly considered to be the only suitable specimen for the evaluation of driving
impairment due to drug consumption. In order to gain more information about the type and the
concentrations of drugs used by drivers arrested for driving under the influence of drugs (DUID), we
analyzed 440 blood samples. All official DUID cases submitted by the Justice Department during a period
ranging from 2002 to 2003 concerning living individuals were considered. This study included 400 men
(91%) and 40 women (9%). The average age of the drivers was 28±1O years (minimum 16 and maximum
81). One or more psychoactive drugs were found in 89% of blood samples. For the majority of cases (51%
from 440), mixtures (from 2 to 6) of psychoactive drugs were detected in blood. The most commonly
detected drugs in blood are cannabinoids (54%), ethanol (42%), cocaine (12%), benzodiazepines (11%),
amphetamines (8%), opiates (8%) and methadone (6%). Among these 440 cases, THCCOOH was found in
54% {mean 35 nglml (1 to 215 ng/ml)), ~9-THC in 49% {mean 5 ng/ml (I to 35 ng/ml)), ethanol in 42%
{mean 1,28 g/kg (0.14 to 2.95 g/kg)), benzoylecgonine in 12% {mean 515 ng/ml (29 to 2430 ng/ml)), free
morphine in 8% {mean 19 nglml (1 to 111 nglml)), methadone in 6% (mean 165 ng/ml (27 to 850 nglml)),
MDMA in 6% {mean 388 nglml (1O to 2480 ng/ml)), free codeine in 5% {mean 5 ng/ml (I to 13 ng/ml)),
cocaine in 5% {mean 109 ng/ml (15 to 560 ng/ml)), midazolam in 5% {mean 56 ng/ml (20 to 250 nglml)),
nordiazepam in 4% {mean 492 ng/ml (30 to 1560 ng/ml)), amphetamine in 4% {mean 63 nglml (10 to 183
nglml)), diazepam in 2% {mean 279 nglml (80 to 630 nglml)) and oxazepam in 2% {mean 614 nglml (165
to 3830 ng/ml)). Other drugs, such as lorazepam, zolpidem, mirtazapine, methaqualone were found in less
than 1 % of the cases. Propositions for a new zero-tolerance law will suggest that the presence of scheduled
drugs like amphetamine (2:20 ng/ml), methamphetamine (2:20 nglml), MDMA (2:50 nglml), MDE (2:50
ng/ml), cocaine (2:20 nglml), free morphine (2:20 nglml) and ~9-THC (2:2 ng/ml) is sufficient for
prosecution, regardless whether the capacity of driving of the person was impaired. If we apply these
conditions to these cases, 60% ofthe drivers tested in this study would be prosecuted.
Keywords: drugs, alcohol, driving
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