Frequent detection of medicinal drugs among fatal (n=159) and injury drivers (n=395) have been documented in two different Norwegian studies. Benzodiazepines, mainly diazepam and flunitrazepam, represented the medicinal drugs most frequently detected, with higher occurrence compared to amphetamines and cannabinoids. These medicinal drugs are also among the most commonly detected compounds in blood samples from Norwegian suspected drugged drivers. Most of the drivers are apprehended due to accident, reckless or dangerous driving. Data records containing results from blood analyses stored at the National Institute of Forensic Toxicology have been compared to data records from Statistics Norway, containing information from all traffic accidents, to elucidate drug related accidents. The results from the Norwegian studies have been compared to epidemiological studies on accident drivers from other countries.
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