DRUG DRIVING IN NORTHERN GREECE AMONG DRIVERS INVOLVED IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

A. Tsocha, A. Krokos, H. Gika, T. Mouskeftara, A. Alexandridou, A. Orfanidis, O. Mastrogianni, N. Raikos

Abstract: Driving under the influence of drugs is a major cause of traffic accidents as the majority of drugs reduce the driving ability. The aim of the present study is to present the prevalence of cannabinoids, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cocaine and metabolites, opiates, opioids, antidepressants, tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) and antipsychotics in blood samples from drivers involved in road traffic accidents from 2015 to 2018 in Northern Greece and to compare these data with those of previous studies in other countries. The most frequently observed compounds were benzodiazepines (22.5%) and secondary opioids (10%), cannabinoids (7.7%) and cocaine (6.5%). Also the obtained data from the Hellenic Police department showed that 8% of total traffic violations were due to alcohol-positive driving.
Keywords: Forensic science, drug driving, drug analysis