Drug and medicine prevalence in traffic in Sweden : the results within the EU project DRUID

Abstract

The prevalence of illicit drugs and medicines in the driving population, i.e. among drivers on the road, was 2.5 per cent between the years 2006 and 2011 in Sweden. The prevalence of alcohol, illicit drugs and medicines among drivers killed in traffic the same years was 31.2 per cent. In comparison with other countries in the EU project DRUID, Sweden has the highest proportion of negative results, i.e. drivers without the presence of alcohol, drugs or medicine. This applies to both drivers on the road and drivers killed in traffic. The studies that form the basis of this report have been performed within the project DRUID - Driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol and medicine, which is a project within the EU's Sixth Framework Programme, which lasted five years (2006-2011). This report presents two sub-studies from the DRUID project. The aims of these studies were: - to study the prevalence of illicit drugs and medicines in the driving population (study among drivers on the road). - to study the prevalence of alcohol, illicit drugs and medicines among killed drivers (study of killed drivers). In the study among drivers on the road, saliva samples were collected. Toxicological results were analysed from 6,199 drivers in Södermanland, Örebro and Östergötland out of 10,223 drivers of passenger cars and vans that were stopped by the police in March 2008- February 2009. In the study of killed drivers we have toxicological results from 157 fatalities out of 178 drivers of passenger cars and vans that were killed in traffic accidents in 2008