A recent movement to remove the driving rights of MMT patients has occurred despite all of the research to the contrary. Arizona is proposing a Bill (S1003) that will attempt to make it illegal to drive while taking Methadone. This is said to be in response to an increase in automobile accidents involving people intoxicated by taking Methadone. However, i"f you look at cases involving car accidents you will notice that they all involve another substance with the Methadone like benzodiazepines or alcohol. Yet, Methadone is always blamed.
There was a recent article regarding this bill in the "Arizona Capitol Times" which is as follows ...
Please Note: The text in red & white is my opinion and was not a part of the original article.
Arizona's DUI laws are some of the most severe in the country, and Sen. Jim
Waring wants to make the laws even more restrictive with the introduction of a
bill that would ban motorists from driving under the influence of prescription
methadone.
Methadone - a synthetic opioid developed in World War II Germany - is a
common treatment for drug dependence. An oral dosing of methadone stops feelings
of withdrawal in addicts and blocks the euphoric effects of heroin and morphine.
Statutory law bans individuals from operating a vehicle while under the
influence of drugs, but exempts individuals taking a drug prescribed by a doctor fromDUI penalties.
The news listed this as a "loophole" in the system when in fact there is no such loophole. If someone is driving while "intoxicated" you know they are not "exempt" from a DUI! Regardless of the means by which the meds were obtained it is illegal to drive while intoxicated. An additional charge of "possesion" would be applied if they have an illegally obtained prescription drug with them. This is not new it is just an old concept which has been given a new spin by the media.
Waring's bill would remove methadone from the list of exempted prescription
drugs, giving drivers taking the medication the same punishment as a person
driving while under the influence of alcohol or an illegal drug.
The sad thing abou this last statement is that you can drive under the influence of alcohol as long as you are not intoxicated by the states limits. This bill essentially states that one can be arrested for merely taking his or her prescribed medication and driving even though they are not intoxicated whatsoever.
"People came to me because I did a DUI bill that had a lot of success,"Waring said. "This is not as huge an area. It will not create as many fatalities
as drunk driving does, but we do not want to overlook something that might be
easily rectified. "
This is not easily rectified! I guess he honestly believes that by removing the driving privileges of the innocent that it will stop others from "drug driving" which is not true. The rates of "methadone accidents" will most likely stay the same because people who are abusing it are the ones causing the accidents. Therefore, they will continue to get their Methadone from whichever source it was diverted from in the beginning and continue to drive.
The bill, S1003, was introduced in response to a series of accidents in 2008
caused by the delayed response times of drivers using methadone. Several of the
accidents, such as the one that killed five cheerleaders in Prescott, were
caused by drivers taking methadone in conjunction with other prescription drugs.
If they realize this is a true fact then why would they create a bill like this is beyond me. However, it should be noted that what started all of this was not the accident itself but the reaction to the accident by the grieving parents who no doubt had been contacted by anit methadone groups such as MAMA.org, Angels4Drug Awareness, or HARMD. After stories like this make headlines these groups swoop in & plant the seed for lawsuits, homicide convictions, and unrealistic legislation. They contact families and media with their stories of whoa resulting from the demon Methadone. When wounds are fresh it is easy to accept placing blame anywhere but on the person who has died. KPHO News in Arizona did a story on the Prescott Accident & interviewed all the cheerleaders with their families. They then showed Senator Waring the heartbreaking video on air and asked him what (if anything) he planned to do about it. This was well orchestrated I must say because what would you expect him to say? Of course he is going to do the typical politician song and dance by saying , "This is an outrage...I will look into it definitely." Here is the link for that interview...
Senator Vows To Address Driving Under The Influence Of Methadone
Lawmaker To Submit Bill Banning Driving Under The Influence Of Methadone
Waring said he would consider adjusting the measure to distinguish between
penalties for drivers using only methadone and for those taking the drug as part
of a prescription cocktail.
Essentially, this is the same as saying he is willing to not come down as hard on the law abiding citizens who are driving sober but take a medication that is socially unacceptable.
"I understand there is a middle ground," he said. "I would be amenable to
change. "
Sen. Linda Gray, chairman of the Senate Public Safety and Human Services
Committee, has indicated an interest in the bill, Waring said.
If the bill in Arizona is passed it will be no time before it will be against the law to drive if you are prescribed Methadone in every state in the US. You can help prevent this by contacting Jim Waring (the Senator that has proposed Bill S1003) and urge him to do the right thing by abandoning this Bill in favor of penalizing those who are proven to be intoxicated regardless of the medication therefore punishing the individuals abusing their medications.Sen. Linda Gray, chairman of the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee, has indicated an interest in the bill also. Her contact info will be listed here also.
Contact Info:
Republican District 7
Senate
1700 W. Washington
Room 302
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-4916
Fax Number: (602) 417-3250
Email Address: jwaring@azleg.gov
Republican District 10
Senate
1700 W. Washington
Room 309
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone Number: (602) 926-3376
Fax Number: (602) 417-3253
Email Address: lgray@azleg.gov
Brief Literature Review
Institute for Metropolitan Affairs
Roosevelt University 2/14/08
1.DRIVING RECORD OF METHADONE MAINTENANCE PATIENTS IN NEW YORK STATE
BABST, D., NEWMAN, S., & State, N. (1973). DRIVING RECORD OF METHADONE MAINTENANCE PATIENTS IN NEW YORK STATE. DRIVING RECORD OF METHADONE MAINTENANCE PATIENTS IN NEW YORK STATE,
When a comparison was made within specific age groups, it was learned that the accident and conviction rates were about the same for methadone maintenance clients as for a sample of New York City male drivers within the same period. The findings from other related studies discussed in this booklet are consistent with the results in this study.
2.The effects of the opioid pharmacotherapies methadone, LAAM and buprenorphine, alone and in combination with alcohol, on simulated driving.
Lenné, M., Dietze, P., Rumbold, G., Redman, J., & Triggs, T. (2003, December). Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 72(3), 271.
These findings suggest that typical community standards around driving safety should be applied to clients stabilized in methadone, LAAM and buprenorphine treatment.
3.Maintenance Therapy with Synthetic Opioids and Driving Aptitude.
Schindler, S., Ortner, R., Peternell, A., Eder, H., Opgenoorth, E., & Fischer, G. (2004). Maintenance Therapy with Synthetic Opioids and Driving Aptitude. European Addiction Research, 10(2), 80-87
Conclusion: The synthetic opioid-maintained subjects investigated in the current study did not differ significantly in comparison to healthy controls in the majority.
4.Methadone-substitution and driving ability
Forensic Science International, Volume 62, Issues 1-2, November 1993, Pages 63-66
H. Rössler, H. J. Battista, F. Deisenhammer, V. Günther, P. Pohl, L. Prokop and Y. Riemer
The formal assertion that addiction equals driving-inability, which is largely practiced at present, is inadmissible and therefore harmful to the therapeutic efforts for rehabilitation.
5.Methadone substitution and ability to drive. Results of an experimental study.
Dittert, S., Naber, D., & Soyka, M. (1999, May).
It is concluded that methadone substitution did not implicate driving inability.
6.Functional potential of the methadone-maintenance person.
Gordon, N., & Appel, P. (1995, January). Functional potential of the methadone-maintenance person. Alcohol, Drugs & Driving, 11(1), 31-37.
Surveys on employability and driving behavior of MTSs revealed no significant differences when compared to normal population. It is concluded that MM at appropriate dosage levels, as part of treatment for heroin addiction, has no adverse effects on an individual's ability to function.
7.Influence of Peak and Trough Levels of Opioid Maintenance Therapy on Driving Aptitude. Baewert, A., Gombas, W., Schindler, S., Peternell-Moelzer, A., Eder, H., Jagsch, R., et al. (2007). European Addiction Research, 13(3), 127-135.
This investigation indicates that opioid-maintained patients did not differ significantly at peak vs. trough level in the majority of the investigated items and that both substances do not appear to affect traffic-relevant performance dimensions when given as a maintenance therapy in a population where concomitant consumption would be excluded.
8.Opioid dependence and driving ability: a review in the context of proposed legislative change in Victoria.
Lenné, M., Dietze, P., Rumbold, G., Redman, J., & Triggs, T. (2000, December). Opioid dependence and driving ability: a review in the context of proposed legislative change in Victoria. Drug & Alcohol Review, 19(4), 427-439.
A review of the performance studies, including only a small number of driving studies, suggests that opioids, and in particular methadone, have limited effects on driving skills.
9.The influence of analgesic drugs in road crashes.
Chesher, G. (1985, August). The influence of analgesic drugs in road crashes. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 17(4), 303-309.
Methadone, as used in treatment schedules for narcotic dependence, produces no significant effect on measures of human-skills performance.
10.Influence of narcotic drugs on highway safety.
Gordon, N. (1976, February). Influence of narcotic drugs on highway safety. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 8(1), 3-7.
A review of the literature on narcotic drug use and driver safety indicates that narcotic users do not have driving safety records that differ from age-matched individuals in the general population. Maintenance on methadone also does not appear to increase driving risk.
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Outside of Africa, nearly one in three HIV cases is the result of contaminated needles and syringes. Injection drug use drives the HIV epidemic in Russia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ukraine, Vietnam, and dozens of other countries.
Methadone and buprenorphine, also known as medication-assisted treatment, are the best researched and most effective treatments for opiate dependence. By eliminating withdrawal and reducing cravings, methadone and buprenorphine allow opiate users to reduce or stop injection, which helps prevent HIV. Because they help people stabilize their lives, they also promote adherence to AIDS treatment medications. Methadone and buprenorphine are on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines.
When I began researching websites and studies for my video I found many pro-methadone sites were from the late 90's to early 2000 era. It seems as if there was fire in the Methadone community then that has now dwindled to a small spark only igniting when something major occurs in the media & then burning out again. I understand the attitude behind avoiding confrontation with anti-methadone groups. That is not what I am advocating. Myself, I never respond to things the anti-methadone groups write because it doesn't change anything for us. Instead it only angers me more which does no one any good. I only want to rekindle the flame that was once so strong among Methadone advocates in this time of need.
If we continue to sit idly by & do nothing while anti-methadone groups grow in numbers, voices & yes the mighty dollar then we have no room to cry foul when the laws they attempt to pass become reality. I realize after years of "chasing normal" it is such a relief to "find normal " (plug, plug) with Methadone that all one wants to do after stabilizing is enjoy the life they had before drugs. Nevertheless, I feel the time has come that we need to do more. With the recent proposal in Indiana that would require all members of methadone clinics to have a designated drivers before leaving the clinic I decided the sooner the better. The proposal was shot down but by a very slim margin. The next time it may pass. Then other states will follow. Anti-methadone groups are also calling for a limit of 30 clients per clinic. This would shut down the clinics and leave countless numbers of addicts back to a system that didn't work for them in the past or to drug use. Like anything else the best way to help raise awareness is by learning the truth & passing it on to others.
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