Short messages on Alcohol/Drugs/substance use from Respect Yourself, the guidance site for young people to help make good decisions in life.
Cannabis can cause feelings of anxiety, suspicion, panic and paranoia. Regular cannabis use is known to be associated with an increase in the risk of later developing psychotic illnesses including schizophrenia.
Teenagers who regularly smoke cannabis risk permanently damaging their intelligence, attention span and memory. Stopping or reducing cannabis use fails to fully restore the lost IQ.
If the driver is convicted of causing death by dangerous driving from drug use, they will receive a prison sentence of up to fourteen years.
Driving whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs doesn’t just put the driver’s life in danger – it’s also all the passengers, the drivers and passengers of other cars, cyclists, and anyone walking on the pavement.
For a drug drive conviction there will be a specific record on the driving licence for eleven years that details a conviction for drug driving. If they drive for work their employer will see the conviction when they have to produce their licence. Car insurance will increase significantly.
The penalties for a drug drive conviction are the same as for drink driving: a minimum 12-month driving ban, a criminal record and a fine of up to £5000.
Drug drivers may think that because they pass a test for alcohol they will be off the hook. This is not the case because the Police can also prosecute a driver who is unfit through drugs and there are various ways they can detect and prove the offence. One specific test the Police may use is the Field Impairment Assessment. It can be administered by trained officers at the roadside and is based on an observation of impairment, rather than a biological test.
Driving within three hours of smoking cannabis could almost double the risk of a crash leading to serious injury or death.
Taking drugs will impair driving skills. Driving whilst under the influence of drugs is extremely dangerous and can affect driving in numerous ways.
Drug drivers can suffer from slower reaction times, erratic and aggressive behaviour, an inability to concentrate properly, nausea, hallucinations, panic attacks, paranoia, tremors (or ‘the shakes’), dizziness and fatigue. In such a condition, it puts not only the driver at risk but also passengers and others who share the road.
Possession of Cannabis carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a fine; supplying others – even if you give it away for free – has a maximum 14 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.