Narcotic use and driving behavior

Abstract

Data on 1562 methadone maintenance patients (experimentals) in New York State were gathered through face-to-face interviews. A control group of 1059 people was constructed by asking the experimentals to volunteer names of non-addicted friends. State driver records for 718 experimentals and 579 controls were obtained and analyzed. In general, experimental subjects were no worse drivers than the controls either as patients or while they were using heroin. This was so despite the fact that the experimentals estimated their mileage to be at or above the national average throughout their abuse of non-narcotic and narcotic drugs and during their methadone treatment. It was also found that drug abusers who drive are likely to drive immediately after using drugs. There was an indication that narcotic users are able to compensate for drug effects. © 1974.