DUID & DUI with Drugs Lawyer in Dayton, Ohio
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Understanding Ohio’s DUID Laws
Although “driving under the influence (DUI)” and “driving under the influence of drugs (DUID)” are used informally, the Ohio Revised Code uses “operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs (OVI).” This statute covers both drunk driving and drugged driving.
Drivers can violate this statute in two ways. First, drivers cannot operate a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination thereof. “Drug of abuse” includes controlled substances, prescription drugs, inhalants, and over-the-counter drugs.
Second, drivers cannot operate a vehicle while over the legal limit for illegal drugs or prescription medications.
These limits include:
Intoxicant | Legal Limit (Nanograms/Milliliter of Urine) | Legal Limit (Nanograms/Milliliter of Blood) |
Marijuana | 10 | 2 |
Methamphetamine | 500 | 100 |
Heroin | 2,000 | 50 |
Cocaine | 150 | 50 |
LSD | 25 | 10 |
These intoxicants impair the driver’s judgment or reflexes.
Impairing Effects of Various Illegal Drugs
Drugs are included on the controlled substance schedules because they pose a risk of addiction and adversely affect the user’s behavior.
Some well-known effects of controlled substances include the following:
- Marijuana impairment depends on the user, causing lethargy in some and mania in others.
- Cocaine causes mania, aggression, irritability, and paranoia.
- Heroin produces drowsiness and a mental haze.
- LSD generates visual and auditory hallucinations.
- Methamphetamine use leads to mania, loss of impulse control, and paranoia.
The result of these effects is an increased risk of injury or fatal crashes. Specifically, these drugs can impair reflexes and interfere with a driver’s ability to judge speed and distance. They also lead to increased crash risk due to reduced inhibitions and impulse control.
Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs
Over-the-counter and prescription drugs pose similar risks. Ohio’s DUI laws include impairment from a prescription medication whether it was obtained lawfully or illegally.
Prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications can cause the following known effects:
- Tranquilizers and antihistamines cause drowsiness, dull thinking, and impaired reflexes.
- Pain medications containing opiates produce euphoria, confusion, and loss of coordination.
- Anti-anxiety medications can cause decreased mental alertness and aggression.
- ADHD medications produce agitation, aggression, paranoia, and reduced impulse control.
The impairment caused by prescription drugs may worsen when combined with alcohol or other drugs. In other words, the combination might interfere with your driving ability even though each of the individual substances consumed would not have impaired you.