Anyone who is charged with driving under the influence of drugs has a lot to lose. This is even more so the case if you hold a job as a teacher, police officer, or high-ranking business executive.
While driving under the influence of drugs may not be as common as driving under the influence of alcohol, it is still a major problem in the United States. For example, a 2010 survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notes that approximately 10 million Americans drove under the influence of an illegal drug.
Unlike alcohol, it can be more difficult to measure drug impairment. For this reason, it’s not always easy for authorities to determine on the spot if a person is under the influence of drugs. Unfortunately, this can lead to a situation in which a person is arrested for a crime that he or she did not commit.
Generally speaking, the best way to measure if a person has drugs in his or her system is through a blood sample or urinalysis.
Prescription drug impairment
In addition to illegal drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, prescription drugs can also impair a person’s ability to drive. Even so, just because a person is taking a prescription drug it doesn’t mean that he or she is breaking the law.
Individuals are only breaking the law if they are taking a drug that they have not been prescribed, such as one that was illegally purchased.
Being charged with driving under the influence of drugs is enough to impact your career. For example, as a police officer, you could receive a suspension until your case comes to a conclusion.
Taking this one step further, a conviction could lead to a situation in which you lose your job. Also, this will make it difficult to land another position in the future.
Since you have a lot to lose, since you want to avoid the most serious punishment, you need to understand the reason for your arrest. This goes along with implementing a defense strategy that can help you put this serious situation in the past before it causes any additional damage to your professional and personal life.