My fathers driving problem!

[Bare_head]

hey guys,

Firstly respect to all the guys on these boards keeping this forum to its best standards and all you lovely people out there (dont post as much but reading i can tell some of the ole faces are about and some new nice people too ! Also RIP to a few i known on this board that will be sadly missed

also not forgetting the guys that dont post here anymore and have gotten out of the drugs scene, just wanted to get that out there as i feel kinda low myself at the moment and love this board on a whole and how it has helped me.

Anyways ...

My dad has been on methadone for almost 20 years now, he on injectables ampules using like 160mg a day (sometimes more)

Recently the dvla sent a letter regarding his drug usage? asked such things on paper as what medication he is on and what other illegal drugs he uses ect..

My dads drug worker i think grassed him in tbh , when my dad asked him if there was someone who said it he said "he couldnt remember" fucking arseholes..

They want him to start putting it up his arse (the methadone btw lol) he wont !

Anyways, he smoked cannabis for years daily, hasnt been using as much but still using frequently, he has 5 weeks to produce a drugs test,

I want to know whether they can take his licene off him simply being on methadone, he suffers pain badly and uses it to function daily (without it he would be unfit to drive)

Also can my dad get cannabis out of his piss in 5 weeks, they will revoke his licence if so!??!> its a fucking metabolite they test for bla bla bla u aint stoned for days grrrrr fuck the system!

any help much appreciated

 

[Sammy G]

From the DVLA's medical guidelines:

Applicants or drivers complying fully with a consultant supervised oral Methadone maintenance programme may be licensed, subject to favourable assessment and, normally, annual medical review. Applicants or drivers on an oral buprenorphine programme may be considered applying the same criteria. There should be no evidence of continuing use of other substances, including cannabis.

https://www.gov.uk/current-medical-...for-professionals-conditions-m-to-o#methadone

So as you suspected, it looks as if the methadone isn't necessarily a problem (subject to assessment) but cannabis use along with the methadone would be.

 

[Bare_head]

Persistent use of, or dependence on these substances, confirmed by medical enquiry, will lead to licence refusal or revocation until a minimum one year period free of such use has been attained. Independent medical assessment and urine screen arranged by DVLA, may be required. In addition favourable consultant or specialist report may be required on reapplication.

this first bit stumps me tho? does this mean he cant drive on injectables at all?

 

[Sammy G]

If it's injectable methadone, surely that falls under a 'consultant supervised programme'?

I think the bit you quoted just refers to 'multiple substance misuse and / or dependence'. Though it is a bit confusing to say the least.

 

[Bare_head]

yeh thanks sammy for your help mate, surely i wud think that also , much appreciated.

So can he get it out of his system fully in 5 week (cannabis metabolites that is) i have heard stories of daily users failing a drug sample almost 70 days after use ?!?! i know its stored in the fat cells but jeez, i guess anti oxidants , cranberry juice, exercise ect?

 

[Raasyvibe]

yeh thanks sammy for your help mate, surely i wud think that also , much appreciated.

So can he get it out of his system fully in 5 week (cannabis metabolites that is) i have heard stories of daily users failing a drug sample almost 70 days after use ?!?! i know its stored in the fat cells but jeez, i guess anti oxidants , cranberry juice, exercise ect?

We're not allowed to answer these questions unfortunately. The BLUA, man...

But there's tons of sites with this kind of information, or PM shambles.

 

[ScotchMist]

Funny this thread came up, ive absolutely no useful information but I was talking to a pal yesterday who'd that day received a letter saying his provisional licence revoked because of his diaz and mitraz script...

Maybe they're having a purge on it, all the scripts ive had its never been mentioned to me about not driving...!

Hope he gets the all clear anyway..

 

[Shambles]

this first bit stumps me tho? does this mean he cant drive on injectables at all?

I don't really see that it should make any difference - that is what his doctor has decided is the best option for him and ultimately 160mg of methadone is 160mg of methadone wherever you insert it - but I'm not the DVLA. I suspect the guidelines only speak of oral methadone as that is by far the most common way it's prescribed and it would quite possibly be presumed that injecting methadone would imply illicit use rather than prescribed and supervised.

We're not allowed to answer these questions unfortunately. The BLUA, man...

But there's tons of sites with this kind of information, or PM shambles.

I was under the impression we could answer drug testing questions in EADD - we certainly always used to - but I've noticed at least one thread on the subject being closed just recently so perhaps policy has changed. As you say, information on such matters is widely available with a bit of searching elsewhere. I think the issue with giving advice here on BL was mainly one of it potentially being iffy legally as it would suggest we were trying to help people at least bend the law if not outright break it, as such it's probably best to stick with general site policy and avoid answering drug test questions of this sort. There's also the fact that most advice I've ever seen on the matter is utter bollocks - there's a helluva lot of myths about ways to avoid failing a drug test and would be easy to pass on such myths and get somebody into more trouble than they would be anyway. Best answer to all drug test questions is to not take the drugs you know will trigger a fail within the timeframe of being tested for them. In terms of cannabis, although it's generally said to be ~30 days to clear the system completely that only really applies to heavy, daily users. Light, occasional use is a different matter, but assuming the longer lingering is probably safest if you absolutely cannot fail a drug test.

 

[Bare_head]

thanks guys and yeh my thinking also shambles :/, and ok raas i forget these new BLUA guidelines, i sorry

 

[mydrugbuddy]

Posts #2 and #3 directly contradict each other. It sounds like a minefield. It should surely boil down to your Dad's fitness to drive, if his judgement and reactions etc are not impaired then any medications he is taking should be irrelevant. It sounds like a harsh move from his drugs worker if that is what has happened, but if they consider him to be a danger on the roads then i guess they felt obliged to grass him up. They should have informed him first though if that is what happened that they were intending to inform the DVLA, im sure some fundamental confidentialty contract thing has been breached there, and that the case has not been handled properly.

 

[pinkpapaver]

tell them drugs workers naffin! they'll always need to bend the data protection business somewhere along the line. "everything you say will be treated as confidential unless we feel it necessary to share with another organisation."

I drank methadone in my sleep last night. that is worrying but I won't be telling my dw she'll put me on supervised for that.

 

[Shambles]

I drank methadone in my sleep last night. that is worrying but I won't be telling my dw she'll put me on supervised for that.

Hahahahahhahhahaaha!

 

[normannormal75]

This is what I joined the 'Bluelite' site for but now it looks like you can't give me the answer. I'll try anyway. I'd been on methadone for over 20 years. When I got my script the Doctor told me that he was required to tell me I should inform the DVLA I was taking methadone, but it wasn't his job to do so. So like most other people I didn't. But time creeps up on you. 8 years ago I realised I was still on the same script, as NHS fashion changed and 'recovery' became the watchword. I managed to reduce the Meth and switched onto subutex. Currently I've got down to 4mg of subutex daily. But in 8 months time I hit age 70. Where has the time all gone ? And at that point apparently the situation with the NHS changes. The Doctor at that point HAS to inform the DVLA of what medication I'm on. So what happens then ? Will the DVLA take my licence away ? Do I have to give a clean sample on my birthday ? Anyone have any other info ? The professional drug workers all seem a bit clueless about this. Not many clients have licences. So any information would be much appreciated. Can I drive on subbys or not. ? It would appear not. normannormal75

ps. driving exclusively in the UK.

 

[Twojobs]

I'm a drug worker and my understanding is that you can drive on OST (either methadone or buprenorphine) as long as you can show no illicit use on top within the last 12 months, as evidenced by clean tests.

 

[Backfromthebrink]

I'm a drug worker and my understanding is that you can drive on OST (either methadone or buprenorphine) as long as you can show no illicit use on top within the last 12 months, as evidenced by clean tests.

You also may have to prove to a DVLA doctor (or your GP) that your driving isn't impaired by your OST consumption. They sometimes determin this by doing the sort of sobriety test that the police use.

Just being on OST on its own doesn't mean you CAN'T drive. There are many things to consider such as current consumption of illegal drugs, the dose you are on, how that dose affects you etc. etc.

Plus the DVLA are cunts...so there's that too.