More Than Just Alcohol: Other Legal Substances That Could Land You With a DWI

When most people hear “DWI” or “DUI,” their minds tend to automatically jump to alcohol—and for good reason.

It is one of the most widely consumed intoxicating substances in America and around the world.

However, there are several other otherwise legal substances that, if drivers get caught cruising around with them in their systems, can land them in hot legal water, potentially leading to fines, revocation of their licenses, and even jail time, even if they don’t manage to hurt anyone else.

Let’s get into the other legal substances that could land you with a DWI.

Benzodiazepines

The pharmaceutical family of benzodiazepines—which includes brand names such as Xanax (alprazolam) and Valium (diazepam)—is typically used to treat anxiety disorders due to their sedative effects.

What most drivers don’t realize is that benzodiazepine drugs act on the same brain receptors as alcohol and cause similar impairment to driving ability.

The effects multiply significantly when the two substances are combined.

While benzodiazepines are perfectly legal to possess and consume if you have a doctor’s prescription, driving on them could land you with a DWI.

Marijuana

While cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, several states have legalized its use either for recreational or medicinal purposes.

Unfortunately, many users take the green light to consume marijuana as a tacit endorsement of driving while high, which is not the case.

The number of drivers arrested for stoned driving has increased at many state levels.

Antidepressants

Antidepressant drugs such as SSRI often come with warning labels on the bottle that indicate their possible negative effects on driving ability.

These effects worsen when combined with alcohol, another reason to never mix your prescription medications with booze.

For many, antidepressants may not cause any deleterious effects on their roadway performance, but for others, it could trigger a DWI arrest.

Sleeping Pills

Millions of Americans have used popular sleeping pills such as Ambien to help them get a restful night’s sleep.

These drugs are often quite powerful, and in many ways mimic the effects of benzodiazepines that we mentioned earlier.

If you are taking Ambien or other sleeping pills, make sure you won’t need to drive anymore that evening.

If you are faced with a charge of driving while intoxicated on any of the substances discussed here, you’ll want to enlist the help of an experienced DWI attorney.

Given the enormous legal and financial stakes, you should take all necessary steps to protect your freedom and bank account from potentially hefty penalties.

An attorney can help defend you and guide you through the process.

Even if you don’t drink, you could still end up with a DWI charge.

It’s important to know what medications and substances could affect you to the point of impaired driving.

Tags: DWI

Category: Law