While receiving a DUI charge based on intoxication from your own prescription can be a stressful situation, know that you do not need to face it alone. A dedicated Birmingham defense attorney can help you create a professional defense strategy to fight for your innocence. Read on to learn more about how a distinguished Birmingham prescription drug DUI lawyer can make a difference in your case today.
How Drug-Related Impairment Charges can Involve Legal DrugsIn the State of Michigan, drunk driving is classified as OWI, or operating while intoxicated. The actual breakdown is an operating while intoxicated by alcohol, a controlled substance, an inhaled substance, or a combination thereof. This means that if somebody just has any drug in their system, even if it is over-the-counter, if it causes some level of intoxication or substantially affects someone’s ability to operate a motor vehicle, they can still be charged.
While many would say that it seems far-fetched to be arrested on prescription medications, a lot of prescription medications do impair judgment and reaction time. Many of these medications that could cause this effect are clearly labeled. For example, individuals can be prescribed morphine, which can have very negative consequences if someone tried to drive after receiving their dosage. However, at the same time, the longer someone is on morphine, the less of an effect it will have on them, making them think that they may be able to drive again.
The Role of Prescription MedicationsOne of the major issues with prescription medications, or even over-the-counter medications, is that the reaction in individuals is varied compared to a somewhat similar reaction to alcohol in most individuals. Many have a very similar reaction to alcohol. Of course, alcoholics may have a better tolerance or ability to go past some of the effects. Drugs and controlled substances, whether over-the-counter, prescription or otherwise, have varied effects based on someone’s unique makeup.
Because of this, individuals could be impaired or intoxicated because of these controlled substances even though it is something that others would not necessarily be intoxicated or impaired by. And that is why whenever someone has a prescription that says that they should not operate heavy machinery or take with alcohol, they should follow those recommendations, at least until they know that it is not going to affect them in a negative way.
Cumulative Effects of Multiple MedicationsWhen some types of over-the-counter medications are taken with other medications, there can be a cumulative effect taking place that the individual was not originally aware of. This can also occur if individuals add actual controlled substances or alcohol to the mix, potentially creating a cocktail that could be very deadly to one’s ability to operate a vehicle successfully. Before trying a new medication, one needs to sit down with their doctor to make sure they can or cannot take it with other specific substances.
Over-the-Counter MedicationsIf the drug causing intoxication was legally sold over the counter, this classification would not affect whether or not someone received a charge as a result of their driving behavior. There are a lot of medications that come over-the-counter that are not going to affect the ability to operate machinery, but if someone took a Benadryl that caused a reaction in them to impair their ability to drive, the law does not differentiate between whether something was prescribed or bought at a department store. This makes acquiring a seasoned Birmingham defense attorney imperative in these situations.
Contacting a Birmingham Prescription Drug DUI LawyerIf you have been accused of driving under the influence of drugs that you were prescribed by your doctor, know that a reliable Birmingham prescription drug DUI lawyer can help your case by guiding you through the court process, educating you about what to expect from the prosecution, and gathering evidence on your behalf to show your innocence. Reach out to a skilled Birmingham prescription drug DUI lawyer today to gain an aggressive advocate for your defense who will fight to protect your constitutional rights in court.