In the 30 years since the fight against driving under the influence of alcohol began, the number of drunken drivers has decreased. Some new trends are beginning to worry experts, reports the Las Vegas Sun. During the current national campaign against driving under the influence that ends on Labor Day, two trends are particularly worrisome to law enforcement officials: the rise in people driving under the influence of drugs and the increase in the number of women driving under the influence.
Last year, a woman sitting at a local bus stop was killed when a driver under the influence of the prescription drugs Percocet and Valium ran into her. The case exemplifies what local and national authorities say is a growing trend of driving under the influence of drugs – both prescription and illicit. “Over the years, we've seen an increase in the number of drugged drivers on our roads and highways commensurate with the substance abuse problems we have in our communities, including not only illicit drugs but prescription narcotics,” said Nevada Department of Public Safety Director Jerry Hafen.