[Driving under the influence of benzodiazepines. Sale differences in the counties are reflected among drivers suspected of driving under the influence of a drug].

This study was based on all blood samples taken from drivers suspected of being influenced by alcohol and or drugs and sent to the National Institute of Forensic Toxicology in 1992. Benzodiazepines were among the most frequently detected drugs. The ratio between samples containing benzodiazepines and the total number of samples was compared with the sales of benzodiazepines in the different Norwegian provinces. In 95% of the benzodiazepine positive samples, either a combination with other drugs or a concentration significantly higher than usually found after ordinary therapeutic use was observed. These results indicated that the fraction of samples positive on benzodiazepines probably representing drug abuse or misuse correlated with the total prescription of benzodiazepines in the different Norwegian provinces.