Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

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Alcohol and Illicit Drugs among Subjects Involved in Road Crashes in Florence, Italy


Affiliations
1 Divisione di Tossicologia Forense - Dipartimento di Anatomia, Istologia e Medicina Legale, Viale Morgagni, 85, 50134 Firenze, Italy
2 Regional Agency Health, Tuscany, Italy
3 Centre for alcoholic, Health public corporation of Florence, Italy
4 Forensic Toxicology Division, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Legal Medicine, University of Florence, Italy
     

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A collaborative study was performed in a period of time of 18 months in order to determine the prevalence of alcohol and other drugs (cannabinoids, opiates, cocaine, methadone and amphetamine) in 554 samples both urine and blood from people involved in vehicle crashes and admitted to an Emergency Department.

Thirty-five (6.3%) cases were positive only for alcohol, 6.1% (34 cases) of these blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was matched or exceeded the legal limit established in Italian highway code (0.5g/l). Nineteen blood samples (3.4%) result positive only for illicit drugs (cocaine, methadone, heroin and THC), while thirteen cases (2.3%) were positive both for alcohol and drugs.

These results highlight the increase of the risk of being involved in road traffic crashes using alcohol and other drugs most of all if we consider that the sample was taken no later than three hours after the accident.


Keywords

Forensic Toxicology, Alcohol, Blood Alcohol Concentration, Illicit Drugs, Road Crashes, Drivers
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  • Alcohol and Illicit Drugs among Subjects Involved in Road Crashes in Florence, Italy

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Authors

Mari Francesco
Divisione di Tossicologia Forense - Dipartimento di Anatomia, Istologia e Medicina Legale, Viale Morgagni, 85, 50134 Firenze, Italy
Voller Fabio
Regional Agency Health, Tuscany, Italy
Bardazzi Gabriele
Centre for alcoholic, Health public corporation of Florence, Italy
Di Padua Marianna
Forensic Toxicology Division, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Legal Medicine, University of Florence, Italy
Politi Lucia
Forensic Toxicology Division, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Legal Medicine, University of Florence, Italy
Di Milia Maria Grazia
Forensic Toxicology Division, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Legal Medicine, University of Florence, Italy
Santarlasci Veronica
Centre for alcoholic, Health public corporation of Florence, Italy
Orsini Cristina
Regional Agency Health, Tuscany, Italy
Bertol Elisabetta
Forensic Toxicology Division, Department of Anatomy, Histology and Legal Medicine, University of Florence, Italy

Abstract


A collaborative study was performed in a period of time of 18 months in order to determine the prevalence of alcohol and other drugs (cannabinoids, opiates, cocaine, methadone and amphetamine) in 554 samples both urine and blood from people involved in vehicle crashes and admitted to an Emergency Department.

Thirty-five (6.3%) cases were positive only for alcohol, 6.1% (34 cases) of these blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was matched or exceeded the legal limit established in Italian highway code (0.5g/l). Nineteen blood samples (3.4%) result positive only for illicit drugs (cocaine, methadone, heroin and THC), while thirteen cases (2.3%) were positive both for alcohol and drugs.

These results highlight the increase of the risk of being involved in road traffic crashes using alcohol and other drugs most of all if we consider that the sample was taken no later than three hours after the accident.


Keywords


Forensic Toxicology, Alcohol, Blood Alcohol Concentration, Illicit Drugs, Road Crashes, Drivers

References