Xanax-fueled cases of driving under the influence have been in the spotlight more and more over the last couple of years, says Miami DUI Lawyer John Musca. Xanax is a prescription anxiety disorder which is also sold on the street and taken for recreational purposes. The anxiety medication is potentially capable of causing DUI by itself, especially when taken in large doses, but is especially prone to interacting with alcohol and causing a problem. Doctors often prescribe the medication specifically to treat patients who suffer from panic attacks or panic disorders.
Xanax and other prescription medications can have an effect on how alcohol impacts the body from a physical perspective. The Xanax can intensify the impairment of alcohol, leading drivers who have taken the anxiety medicine more impaired after fewer drinks than they would be normally. That means that a woman who had two glasses of wine with dinner might typically not feel too impaired to operate her motor vehicle after that meal could end up with a DUI if the wine was drunk in conjunction with taking Xanax - even if she had a prescription from a physician for the medication.
Florida police officers report that they are pulling over an increasing number of motorists who are driving under the influence of alcohol and Xanax together, rather than just alcohol. In 2008, law enforcement officials from Pinellas County found only four DUI suspects also tested positive for Xanax at the time of their arrest. Ten years later, the law enforcement officers reported 177 DUI suspects believe to be under the influence of both substances. It has become one of the most common drugs drivers are found to be under the influence of when they are arrested for DUI. Cocaine and marijuana are also found in suspects' bodies with some frequency, according to police who regularly make criminal traffic arrests.
