When you hear the term DUI (Driving Under the Influence), most likely you think of alcohol. What many people don’t realize is that DUI can also pertain to drugs. Driving under the influence of drugs – illegal or prescription – can result in DUI charges. Mixing drugs with driving is considered a DUI offense and can be punished just as harshly, or even more so, as driving under the influence of alcohol. A doctor prescribing you a medication that may impair your driving is no defense in court if you are being caught driving under the influence of drugs.
If you find yourself caught in such a predicament, you need an effective DUI of drugs defense attorney in Salt Lake City; an attorney who knows his way around the law and can help get your life back on track with minimal to no damage. My name is Joseph Jardine, and my team of legal professionals at Jardine Law Offices P.C. has seen it all. We understand that people make mistakes, knowingly and sometimes unknowingly. We can help you fight your charges so you can get back to living a normal life. Give my office a call today.
Measuring Drug Impairment
Driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of .08 or higher is illegal in all 50 states. And since alcohol is flushed from the body so quickly, it makes it easier to measure it on a Breathalyzer machine. That is not the same for drugs. Marijuana stays in the system for up to five weeks, and cocaine usually for up to 48 hours. The only sure methods to measure drugs in a person’s system right now are through urine and blood samples. That does not mean you can’t still be arrested and charged with driving under the influence. And if you are charged, the first thing you need to do is give my law office a call. Myself or one of my skilled DUI of drugs defense attorneys will know what to do and how to take you through the process of tackling your case. Everyone messes up at some point in their lives, but it shouldn’t cost you your future.
Impairing Effects of Various Illegal Drugs
- Marijuana: Relaxation, euphoria, disorientation, altered time and space perception, drowsiness, paranoia, image distortion, increased heart rate.
- Cocaine: Euphoria, excitation, dizziness, increased focus and alertness (initially), confusion and disoriented behavior, irritability, paranoia, aggressiveness, increased heart rate.
- Methamphetamine: Euphoria, excitation, hallucinations, delusions, insomnia, poor impulse control, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure.
- Morphine & Heroin: Intense euphoria, drowsiness, relaxation, sedation, disconnectedness, mental clouding, analgesia, depressed heart rate, nausea and vomiting, diminished reflexes.
- LSD: Hallucinations, altered mental state, delusions, impaired depth, time and space perception, hypertension, tremors.
Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs
- Antidepressants: Some sedating antidepressants cause impairment similar to drunk driving.
- Valium: 10 mg of the popular tranquilizer can cause impairment similar to having a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.10 percent.
- Antihistamines: Many of them slow reaction time and impair coordination.
- Sleeping Pills: Even in the morning, the residual effects of these drugs can impair drivers.
Call the Jardine Law Offices P.C. if you find yourself charged with DUI of drugs in Salt Lake City Our team of legal professionals have what it takes to represent you and defend your case with compassion and conviction. Don’t let one mistake derail your life. Give us a call today.
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