A growing percentage of arrests statewide for driving under the influence
are related to prescription and illicit drugs, not alcohol, authorities say.
Overall, DUI arrests are down, but authorities attribute the surge in DUI
drug arrests to a combination of better enforcement and the continuing fallout
from the prescription-drug epidemic.
Arizona has nearly 500 officers trained to recognize the
symptoms of drug impairment, compared with only a few two decades ago. “I
think the availability of prescription drugs in great quantities has created
this,” said Alberto Gutier, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway
Safety. “This has created a prescription-drug epidemic.”
He said prescription painkillers and synthetic drugs such as
“Spice” are common culprits.
Gilbert police Sgt. Jim Lahti, who supervises the night traffic squad, said
he remembers meeting two officers who were the only drug-recognition officers
in the state 22 years ago when he was police recruit. Officers would
suspect someone was impaired by a substance other than alcohol, but were unable
to pinpoint it because of a lack of training, he said. “We have officers
that are better trained now in recognizing drug impairment,” Lahti said. “The
other factor is that there are now more people driving who are impaired by
drugs.”
While the number of DUI arrests dropped more than 13 percent in
2012 from 2011, the number of DUI drug arrests increased 12 percent, according
to Governor’s Office of Highway Safety statistics. Even more dramatic is
the increase in drug-related DUI arrests over a longer period, with the number
rising 18-fold from 2003 to 2012. The trend was spotlighted during the
holiday season by the annual East Valley DUI Task Force.
Mesa officers working with other agencies throughout the region
made 540 DUI arrests from Nov. 21 to New Year’s Day. Of those arrests,
344, or 63%, were for drug DUIs. Other participating agencies made fewer drug
arrests, but nearly one out of three arrests was drug-related.
The 2012 East Valley Task Force figures further confirm a trend
noted in Mesa during the 2011 calendar year, when DUI drug arrests outpaced
alcohol arrests for the first time. Lahti points out that although
alcohol has been legal for years, that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable for anyone
to drive impaired on any drug, including medical marijuana.
Remember--impaired driving means impairment from ALL sources: Alcohol,
illicit drugs or prescription drugs, it makes no difference under Arizona law. Just like driving drunk, driving while on drugs can also cause catastrophic auto accidents in Arizona. It's a trend that needs to be stopped as soon as possible.
Be informed, and be safe.