Drug and Driving: A Compendium of Research Studies
Annotated Sources (cont'd)
Belgium
18. Schepens, P. J., Pauwels, A., Van Damme, P., Musuku, A., Beaucourt, L., and Selala, M. I. (1998)
Drugs of abuse in weekend drivers involved in car crashes in Belgium. Annals of Emergency Medicine 31(5): 633-637.
Overview
Study of injured drivers in Belgium
Type of study, population(s) and proportion tested
211 drivers injured in weekend car crashes in Belgium
Time period of July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1995
Sampling times from Friday 8 pm to Monday 8 am
Drugs examined (threshold values for detection)
- Amphetamines (300 ng/ml)
- Cannabis (50 ng/ml)
- Cocaine (300 ng/ml)
- Methadone (300 ng/ml)
- Opiates (300 ng/ml)
- Propoxyphene (300 ng/ml)
- Sedatives (barbiturates (200 ng/ml) and benzodiazepines (200 ng/ml))
Method of testing and medium used
Blood sample for alcohol
Urine samples for drugs
Other dependent variables
Findings (including statistical methods)
Almost 50% positive for drugs or alcohol, 7% positive for drugs alone
RR for those drivers involved in weekend crashes being hospitalized with a positive BAC was 1.66
Comments
Drug use was broken down by number of drivers
The numbers were small (1 – 6) and, therefore, % for each drug was not given in the paper
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