DUI Drugs

Although most people associate DUI with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while intoxicated due to drug use (whether the drug in question is illegal or a prescription drug) is also an increasingly common charge, and is treated just as seriously.

The Drug Recognition Program was developed to attend to the issue of DUI offenses where drug use is involved. Prior to this program’s development, proving that a suspect was under the influence of drugs was difficult for law enforcement. The scientific and other variables of testing made obtaining useful results tricky. The newer program makes use of trained professionals who perform on-site analysis to discern whether the suspect was under the influence while at the wheel.

As with any testing, errors in drug detection can be made. Although trained, the experts who work for the Drug Recognition Program often have no medical training, and thus are often unable to tell between the symptoms of drug use and pre-existing medical or mental illness.

Prescription drugs are particularly open to error on the part of law enforcement. Because prescription drugs are legal, officers have a harder time proving impairment. Even people who have adhered to the prescribed dosage of their medications have been charged with DUI drugs. Drug recognition professionals often do not know any medical facts about the person they evaluate and can easily make erroneous judgment.

As with DUI cases where alcohol is involved, DUI drugs charges can be fought according to a number of flaws in the way in which the legal system for dealing with DUI drugs works. A professional DUI attorney will have an understanding of the flaws in the system and can use these to your advantage in your defense, for a better chance of a more lenient outcome in your DUI drugs case.