Missouri impaired driving charges frequently involve alcohol, but many other mind-altering drugs can also trigger prosecution for impaired driving. The law allows police officers to arrest anyone whom they suspect of impairment at the wheel.
An admission of using drugs before driving, very poor performance at the wheel or a positive chemical test could potentially result in impaired driving charges. What kinds of drugs often lead to criminal charges in Missouri?
Prohibited drugs
Both state and federal laws make it a crime to possess certain substances. Having a detectable amount of such drugs in one bloodstream is a form of possession, and anyone arrested after consuming prohibited drugs could end up charged with a serious criminal offense.
Prohibited drugs that can lead to impaired driving charges include:
- methamphetamine
- heroin
- LSD
- GHB
- Molly/Ecstasy/MDMA
- mescaline
- Psilocybin
- peyote
- cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids
Generally speaking, any mind-altering substance that is illegal to possess is also illegal to consume before driving.
Prescription medication
Quite a few people assume that they can do anything they want to with a prescription drug and not break the law. However, there are restrictions on the use of prescriptions, including rules about driving after taking certain medications. Prescription medications ranging from psychiatric drugs to muscle relaxants can affect someone’s driving ability and are therefore illegal to take before operating a motor vehicle.
Over-the-counter medication
If people are dismissive about the restrictions on prescription drugs, they barely acknowledge that there could be lawful limits on their use of over-the-counter medication.
Just because someone can buy a substance at a drugstore or grocery store does not automatically mean that they can do whatever they want when consuming it or after consuming it. Cold and cough medicine and sleep aids are among the numerous over-the-counter drugs that could lead to an impaired driving arrest.
Being aware of what the law says about the use of different kinds of drugs and medications may help motorists make more safety-conscious choices about when they decide to drive.
