You were legally prescribed Adderall by a doctor to treat your ADHD. But after taking a dosage, you were subsequently detained for DUI. Can this actually occur? Yes. If any substance, including Adderall, impairs your ability to drive safely, you may be charged with and found guilty of DUI. Even if you have a legitimate prescription for the medicine, this is still true.
Prescription medications that frequently result in DUI prosecutions include Clarinex, Xanax, Vicodin, Ambien, and Adderall. Read on to learn more about what to do if this happens to you. Or simply contact Simmons Wagner, LLP at (949) 439-5857 now to request a legal consultation.
If you drive while on Adderall, would you get a DUI?
In most places, it is illegal to operate a car while under the influence of drugs, or DUI/DWI. The term “drugs” includes drugs that are illegal or restricted, prescription drugs (like Adderall), and over-the-counter drugs.
You should be aware that you are “under the influence of drugs” if you consume anything and it impedes your ability to function normally in either your bodily or mental functions to the point that you are unable to operate in a fairly safe and careful manner.
If you are stopped by the authorities on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence of Adderall, you will normally have to submit to a blood test. Most state laws stipulate that once you have the right to drive a car, you “implicitly consent” to submitting to a chemical test (such a blood test).
How does Adderall impact your ability to drive?
Because the substance might make you feel tired, using Adderall can result in a DUI. Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine are the two chemicals that make up Adderall. You can remain alert and concentrated thanks to the content. It is frequently used to treat attention problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and others.
These medicines function by energizing your central nervous system. After approximately six hours, that stimulus starts to wane, which makes you feel exhausted. Your response times may be slowed by this exhaustion or sleepiness, making it dangerous for you to operate a vehicle.
Typical adverse effects of Adderall include tiredness, faintness, dizziness, blurred vision, motion sickness, and sweating.
What are the consequences of driving when impaired by Adderall?
The particular punishments for using Adderall while driving will depend on the circumstances of your case and the state’s legislation, under which you were found guilty of DUI. Having said that, DUI accusations are often brought as misdemeanors (as opposed to felonies).
A first offense is frequently punished by jail time, fines, a suspension of your license, finishing DUI school, and/or the installation of an ignition interlock device are all possible penalties. Be aware that the state may suspend your driver’s license if you reject a chemical test after being stopped for driving while impaired by Adderall. Additionally, if you are subsequently found guilty of driving under the influence, you will face harsher DUI consequences.
Should you seek assistance from a criminal defense attorney?
Yes. For assistance with your Adderall DUI case, speak with a defense lawyer or legal firm. A DUI attorney may be able to help in a number of ways. For example, after a DUI arrest, an attorney may assist you in avoiding jail time, they might appear in court on your behalf, engage with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in your state to try to prevent a license suspension, and gather evidence to support your case.
Also keep in mind that a defense attorney can assist you in fighting a DUI accusation by asserting a legal defense. In Adderall DUI cases, a lawyer might work to show that you weren’t Adderall-impaired, the police made mistakes while taking or interpreting a blood test, they incorrectly concluded from field sobriety testing, and they stopped your car without a valid reason.
Contact Simmons Wagner, LLP at (949) 439-5857 now if you are in need of a legal consultation to determine your best way forward.