Pubdate: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) Copyright: 2002 Lexington Herald-Leader Contact: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240 Author: Jonathan D. Salant, Associated Press DRUG-RELATED ROAD DEATHS GET NEW FOCUS Federal Campaign To Include Public Service Warnings, Training For Officers WASHINGTON - Federal officials embarked yesterday on their most comprehensive effort to reduce the thousands of deaths linked to drivers under the influence of illegal drugs. The campaign will include public service announcements warning motorists of the dangers, and a program to train police officers to identify drugged drivers. More than 17,000 people are killed each year in alcohol-related accidents. There were 4,500 drivers killed in crashes in 2000 -- almost one in five -- who had used drugs other than alcohol, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge said police departments will step up enforcement this holiday season, including more checkpoints to catch driv-ers impaired by alcohol or drugs. In addition, the government will fund programs to teach police officers to identify drugged drivers by checking the pulse, reaction time, blood pressure and size of pupils. There have been 5,500 officers trained in 35 states so far. "We are losing thousands of individuals to drug-impaired driving," said John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "This is not something we are powerless to do something about." Although motorists who have a specified amount of alcohol in their blood are automatically considered impaired, only 11 states have similar regulations for drugs -- Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Utah, and, in certain cases, Nevada, North Carolina and South Dakota, according to NHTSA. In the other states, prosecutors must prove that ability to drive was impaired by drugs. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens