Substance abuse has been found to be high among goods carriage drivers who reach Kerala.
This was found in a study conducted by M.S. Sivaprasad, Assistant Professor, Forensic Science, Department of Life Sciences, and C.V. Priyatha, and E.M. Aneesh, assistant professors, Department of Zoology, University of Calicut; and Jayesh K. Joseph, criminologist at the Kerala Police Academy, in 2021. It was held in association with the Excise department. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Traffic Injury and Prevention earlier this month.
Oral fluid samples were collected from 249 participants at the check posts of the State Excise department located on the national highways and passing through Walayar, Palakkad; Tholpetty, Wayanad; and Manjeshwar, Kasaragod. Of the total samples, 53 (21.29%) were positive for one or more drugs of abuse. A high prevalence of tetrahydrocannabinol (10.04%) and synthetic cannabinoids were detected in the samples. Evidence multi-STAT kits that enable on-site simultaneous detection of over 20 drugs were used.
The use of ketamine, alpha-PVP, LSD, methamphetamine, opiate, 6-MAM, benzodiazepines I, methadone, PCP, tramadol, and amphetamine was also detected and their frequency of use ranged between 4.02 and 0.80%. An association between drug abuse and distance of travel was found in drivers. Confirmatory analysis using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry showed agreement with the results of the screening test, the authors said. Up to 30% of those in the 26-35 age group and 34% in 36-46 age group were found to be using drugs.
They claimed that this was the first study conducted among drivers in India for the detection of drugs of abuse. Tetrahydrocannabinol was used more by the goods carriage drivers in Kerala. The use of psychoactive substances significantly increased with the distance of travel, they added.
