Drug use by tractor-trailer drivers

J Forensic Sci. 1988 May;33(3):648-61.

Abstract

Blood or urine samples or both were obtained from 317 of 359 randomly selected tractor-trailer drivers asked to participate in a driver health survey conducted at a truck weighing station on Interstate 40 in Tennessee. Altogether, 29% of the drivers had evidence of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, prescription or nonprescription stimulants, or some combination of these, in either blood or urine. Cannabinoids were found in 15% of the drivers' blood or urine; nonprescription stimulants such as phenylpropanolamine were found in 12%; prescription stimulants such as amphetamine were found in 5%; cocaine metabolites were found in 2%; and alcohol was found in less than 1%. These results provide the first objective information about the use of potentially abusive drugs by tractor-trailer drivers. The extent of driver impairment attributable to the observed drugs is uncertain because of the complex relationship between performance and drug concentrations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Automobile Driving*
  • Cannabinoids / analysis
  • Cocaine / analysis
  • Ethanol / analysis
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Illicit Drugs / analysis*
  • Illicit Drugs / blood
  • Illicit Drugs / urine
  • Mass Screening
  • Substance-Related Disorders / blood
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / urine
  • Sympathomimetics / analysis

Substances

  • Cannabinoids
  • Illicit Drugs
  • Sympathomimetics
  • Ethanol
  • Cocaine