UNDERSTANDING THE OPIOID ANALGESICS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON SKILLS PERFORMANCE
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TL;DR
Present evidence suggests that the effects of the opioids on skills performance are slight when compared with those of alcohol and of other drugs such as the barbiturates and the benzodiazepines.
Abstract
The greatest source of the available information on the effect of drugs on driving-related skills and of their role in road crashes has been obtained from the study of one drug, alcohol. Recently, there has been concern about the possible involvement of drugs other than alcohol in road crashes. It is important to realise that alcohol is unique amongst psychoactive drugs and the means available to the law enforcement officer to determine the degree of intoxication of an individual (e.g. by breathanalysis) are not necessarily applicable to other drugs. Similarly, the effects on driving-related skills of drugs other than alcohol are not necessarily the same as those exhibitied by alcohol. This paper reviews the available evidence for the effects of opioid analgesics on human skills performance and on mood states. The pharmacological differences between alcohol and the opioid drugs are outlined to indicate the important areas of difference in their pharmacological effects. Present evidence suggests that the effects of the opioids on skills performance are slight when compared with those of alcohol and of other drugs such as the barbiturates and the benzodiazepines.