Alcohol, drugs and driving in Italy. Current status, future prospects, and the Veneto Region experience

TL;DR: Clinical and toxicological checks have been organized since 1994 by the CBFT of Padova University in collaboration with the Highway Police of North-East Italy and Italian Red Cross, during Saturday and/or Sunday mornings, on the roads of the Provinces of the Veneto Region, where Cannabinoids represented the most frequent abused drugs, followed by psychostimulants like cocaine and amphetamines, and then opiates.

Abstract: Since 1992, a specific legislation on driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and psychoactive substances is existing in Italy (Art. 186 and 187 respectively of Law 285/1992, the New Highway Code). It covers alcohol (BAC limit 80 mg/100 ml) and stupefying and psychotropic substances. Ascertainments for DUI of alcohol are made by police through a breathlyser test with two determinations made at 5 min interval. As regards DUI of psychoactive substances, the Police, in case of road accidents or suspicion of physical and psychic alteration may accompany the driver to health facilities where samples of biological fluids for toxicological analyses are obtained. Clinical and toxicological checks have been organized since 1994 by the CBFT of Padova University in collaboration with the Highway Police of North-East Italy and Italian Red Cross, during Saturday and/or Sunday mornings, on the roads of the Provinces of the Veneto Region. During the above checks, rapid clinical screenings were carried out on 7,957 drivers and 1,534 of them were subjected to complete clinical and toxicological ascertainments. 30.4% of the final population were drunk and 15.7% of subjects were DUI of drugs. Cannabinoids represented the most frequent abused drugs, followed by psychostimulants like cocaine and amphetamines, and then opiates.