DUI Drug Charges in Henrico County

DUI drug charges come with serious consequences in Henrico County. These can range from misdemeanor to felony charges, and can come with fines and jail time. Driving under the influence involving drugs does not only involve illegal drugs. Having cold or allergy medication in your system can also influence your driving and result in a traffic stop. An experienced Henrico County DUI drug attorney can help if you have been charged with a DUID.

DUI drug charges are actually not very common in Henrico County. These cases involve officers being required to submit an individual to blood testing and then getting further testing in the Department of Forensic Science. However, when a person is charged with a drug DUI, the prosecutors will seek a conviction and a severe punishment, especially if it is considered to be a harder drug like heroin or cocaine.

Traffic Stops for a DUI Drug Charge

An individual can be charged with driving under the influence of drugs if they are either driving erratically, or if after they are stopped and fail the officer’s field sobriety test, they are deemed to be impaired. They can be charged with DUID not only for the use of marijuana and heroin, but also for prescription drugs, whether prescribed by a doctor or not.

Henrico County Drug DUI stops are similar to normal DUI stops in that the officer will ask the same sort of questions and conduct the same types of field tests as they do for DUI alcohol stops. The difference is, instead of taking you to a police station for an alcohol test, the officer will take you to a local hospital where they will have your blood drawn.

What Drugs Constitute a DUI Drug Charge

You do not need to be under the influence of an illegal drug to be charged with drug DUI. Illegal or legal drugs may be the cause of the impairment. If the authorities can prove that you have improperly used the drug, abused the drug, or used an otherwise legal drug with alcohol or another substance, you can be charged with DUI drug.

OTC Medication

If you are under the influence of over-the-counter medication you can still be charged with a DUID in Henrico County. You may be at risk if the use of a medication caused you to be severely impaired, or if you mixed it with other drugs or used the medicine improperly.

Other Substances that can Trigger a DUI Drug Charge in Henrico County

The substances that can cause a DUI or a DUI drug charge can range from marijuana and cocaine to something like an overabundance of cough medicine. There have been instances where individuals are charged with a DUID as a result of over-the-counter and prescription medications. In many cases the individuals use illegally obtained prescription drugs or use the drugs they have been prescribed in an illegal or improper manner. No matter how they are obtained, if the drugs are mixed with alcohol or taken in excess, that resulting impairment will be cause for a DUID.