Survey: 71% of RTA victims test positive for drugs, alcohol
Almost three-quarters of people involved in road accidents tested positive for drugs or alcohol, the results of a study showed.
It also revealed that a fifth of those tested had both alcohol and drugs in their system.
The statistics were outlined todayby the Minister of National Security, Michael Weeks.
He gave MPs a report on the annual meeting of the Bermuda Drug Information Network, composed of groups looking at alcohol and drug addiction on the island.
He said Celeste Maycock, an emergency room physician, presented an initiative between the Bermuda Hospitals Board and the Department for National Drug Control.
They carried out an anonymous study aimed at investigating the types and prevalence of substances taken by people involved in road traffic accidents who sought treatment in the emergency room from May 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024.
The minister said key findings revealed that out of 167 participants, 119, or 71 per cent, tested positive for substances.
Of those, 16 per cent were female and 84 per cent male. The people tested were aged between 16 and 90.
“Among these, 53 participants, 32 per cent, had only alcohol in their system, 32 had only drugs, and 34 — 20 per cent — had both alcohol and drugs in their system.”
Mr Weeks said the positive drug tests identified substances such as THC, cocaine, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines and opiates.
He highlighted that “notably”, 20 per cent of accidents happened on Fridays, followed by Saturdays.
A significant proportion — 62 per cent — of the RTAs were single-vehicle incidents, mostly involving motorbike riders.
• Alcohol, cocaine and marijuana continued to be the three most preferred substances, with users indicating that these substances are easily accessible
• A significant number of individuals sought assistance from Turning Point, the Salvation Army and Men’s Treatment
• A total of 5.5 million litres of alcohol were imported in 2023, with a value of $30.7 million, generating $19.3 million in customs duties
• Additionally, there was a significant increase of 53.9 per cent in the number of drivers who did not pass the breathalyser test.
Mr Weeks said the BerDIN meeting also heard from US police officer Jermaine Galloway, from Texas, who delivered a presentation on the latest drug trends in the United States, Canada and now Bermuda.
“The day before his presentation, officer Galloway performed an environmental assessment of various local stores to evaluate the Bermuda drug market,” said the minister.
“Attendees were shown a series of images and videos depicting the different drugs that are appearing in stores across the island such as Kratom, Micro jelly, Amanita muscaria or mushrooms, Shisha, THC-M and THC-O products and Zyn packs — these go between the teeth and gums.
“He also addressed the harmful effects these products could have on our community, particularly in terms of marketing strategies aimed at young people, the high potency of items and the use of vape devices.
“Many of the identified items are synthetic cannabinoids or precursors to more potent synthetics that may arrive on-island as per the trends in the USA and many are in bright packaging and flavoured, thus potentially attracting our youth.”
National security minister Michael Weeks said the BerDIN annual report showed that in 2022, following the suspicious deaths of 48 males and 11 females, the substances identified included alcohol in nine cases, drugs in 15 cases, and a combination of both alcohol and drugs in 13 cases.
There were 22 instances where no substances were found.
Among the female cases from 2022, the presence of cocaine, benzodiazepines, fentanyl, norfentanyl and morphine were noted in one person’s blood.
In the male case study, medications such as Zolpidem, Citalopram, Tramadol, oxycodone and codeine were detected in both blood and urine samples.
In contrast, in 2023, the analysis of substances after the suspicious deaths of 51 males and 12 females revealed similar findings: alcohol was present in nine cases, drugs in 20 cases, and both alcohol and drugs in five cases.
There were 29 cases where no substances were detected.
The 2023 male case study identified Delta-9 THC, Hydroxy-THC, Carboxy-THC, MDMA, MDA, morphine and benzodiazepines in their blood and urine.
The minister said that alcohol, marijuana and cocaine were the three most commonly used substances among people sentenced to prison.
“Notably, for the first time, eight people tested positive for morphine upon reception into the Department of Corrections.
“Additionally, 12 per cent of inmates upon intake reported using prescribed medication for mental or emotional issues within the last year.”
He added: “Reports of physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and abandonment before the age of 18 were made by 20 inmates.
“Furthermore, drugs and alcohol were linked to 23.9 per cent of both current and past offences, and 14.5 per cent of inmates indicated they experienced an intermediate to severe drug abuse problem.”
The 2024 annual meeting of the Bermuda Drug Information Network was hosted by the Department for National Drug Control on November 1 at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.
This was the fifteenth meeting of this information network.
BerDIN comprises individuals who either represent themselves or an agency, with the objective of delivering factual, impartial and comparable information regarding alcohol, drugs and alcohol/drug addiction in Bermuda, along with their repercussions.
The meeting was attended by 31 BerDIN members and invited guests, which included 20 professionals from the Bermuda Addiction Certification Board.
• For the minister’s full statement and the BerDIN report, see Related Media
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