Tiger Woods has recently been arrested for a DUI but his blood alcohol level was 0.0%. It has been determined by law enforcement agents Mr. Woods was taking prescription pain killers due to his recent back surgery. It was determined that the medications were the cause of his impairment. The list of pharmaceuticals that he has been prescribed are below:
- Soloxine
- Vicodin
- Turox
Vicodin is a highly addictive prescription painkiller that is commonly distributed. Turox is an anti-inflammatory drug. Soloxine a drug used for dogs with hyperthyroidism. It has been shown that the synergy of these drugs can lead to serious complications with health. In some cases the combination of such drugs have even led to death. However it is the Vicodin that is the most dangerous drug in this group.
Mr. Woods’ arrest gives a signal for Americans to be on alert in regards to their safety on the roads. There is a rising rate in accidents ending in fatalities due to drivers under the influence of opioids. Therefore not only alcohol related deaths in automobile accidents are the concern these days. Furthermore the combination of alcohol and prescription pain killers are of extreme concern to public safety.
Even without this deadly combination of drugs the leading cause for impairment are the opioids which stand alone as a major factor in a person’s inability to properly function behind the wheel. As in the case of Tiger Woods who was found asleep while in the driver’s seat. His slumber was directly due to the effects of the highly addictive opioid Vicodin.
Society is fortunate that Mr. Woods’ incident was only an arrest and not a serious accident. The statistics are unfortunately negative in regards to the actual deaths caused by prescription opioid related car accidents:
- 2014, 9,967 people died in alcohol related crashes
- 1/3 of all related fatalities in the USA from alcohol
- 20% of drivers killed in car accidents tested positive for drugs
- 2010 11% of car accidents with fatalities by drugged driver
While drugs purchased on the streets like heroin adds considerably to the death toll, the largest increase in deaths are related to prescription opiates such as OxyContin, Vicodin and methadone. The number of deaths from methadone increased by a factor of 7 between 1999 and 2006, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).