What is the likelihood your next car accident is from a drugged driver? It is well known that prescription drug abuse has increased, especially with those suffering from chronic pain. Opioid usage has become a favorite topic in the news and many American's are on some psychotropic drug. This has created a new phenomenon of driving under the influence of prescription drugs says the Washington Post. DUI or driving under the influence can be expensive if your drug of choice is alcohol, since there is legislation to protect the public if you drive drunk and are pulled over, however, do we need to now expand DUI to prescription drugs too? Perhaps, we need as a society to rethink why we need all those prescriptions in the first place. If you are in pain, Consumer Reports and most recently Bottom Line Personal now suggest that chiropractors are the most valuable people to see for painful problems of the musculoskeletal system. Why not go there first, instead of visiting your regular doctor who may not understand why you hurt, but can give you medication which will not resolve your problem, but simply lead to a more chronic problem years later. Getting out of pain naturally makes sense, especially since mechanical problems (the reason most of us experience pain in the first place) require a mechanical solution and someone who is trained to understand how to help you so you do not need medication for relief. Many of us who are on psychotropic drugs may not need them, and there is evidence that in many cases, they dull the senses but also the effect is nothing more than a placebo with side effects. Check out this recent Washington Post article regarding being drugged behind the wheel By Ashley Halsey III There are fewer drunk drivers on the road, but their place has been taken by people high on marijuana and prescription drugs, according to two reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number of inebriated drivers has declined by almost a third since 2007, but a 2014 survey found that nearly one in four on the road tested positive for a drug that endangered them or others, NHTSA said. "The latest roadside survey raises significant questions about drug use and highway safety," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. "The rising prevalence of marijuana and other drugs is a challenge to everyone who is dedicated to saving lives and reducing crashes." The survey is a voluntary, anonymous effort to collect information from regions across the country. Road signs tell drivers that a data-collection site is ahead of them, and those who wish to participate pull over. The survey has been taken five times in the past 40 years. read more