DUI in Vermont May Include Inhalants, Prescription Drugs

DUI laws may be revised in Vermont as a part of upcoming reforms, and include expanding the legislature to include driving while under the influence of prescription drugs and inhalants.

Currently, only federally regulated drugs are considered when being charged with a DUI. Stuart Scharr, the traffic safety prosecutor for the Vermont Association of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, argues that, "Right now, if someone took Ambien and got in their car and killed someone, they could not be prosecuted for DUI. That's because it is not a regulated drug."

A potential problem that I could imagine would be the lack of definite proof of inhalant usage. For alcohol and drugs, there are breathalizers and blood tests, but inhalants exit the body in a matter of minutes. Any arrests for inhalants would have to be made on the basis of circumstancial evidence - paint stains on face, strong odor from clothing or mouth, slurred speech, or several empty aerosol cans throughout the car. I wonder if that would be enough to hold up in court.

Story from the Times-Argus. Another of their stories was featured here on the blog a few weeks ago after two young people were caught skipping school and abusing inhalants.