Over the weekend, nine drivers detained by the police had more than 1.5 per mille of alcohol on their breath. Only one was examined by narcologists.
"Unfortunately, only one! And the one we saw was because there were drugs. Alcohol doesn't even lead to us! They just ask for expert opinions, what he could have been like at the time of arrest, what he could have been like at the time of the crash. But we have to see him! Because more and more often there are parallels - alcohol and drugs," said Astrīda Stirna, Head of the Drug Help Service at the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH).
The police explain that if the driver does not question the breathalyzer reading, he or she does not need to be taken for an examination. They are taken to hospital if they refuse any tests. On Tuesday, the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee will examine a proposal that will make the police's job even easier. If the driver refuses to be tested, their case can be processed on the spot and they don't need to go to a medical facility.
"We have objections! And we will refuse! We will refuse to give an opinion in such cases because we don't have the data. Not blood, not urine tests," Stirna expressed.
Another reason why narcologists want to meet these drunk drivers is that only by meeting them can they offer help and treatment.
"These drunk drivers are a danger to others and to themselves. And nothing further is done with them! They are detained repeatedly, behind the wheel. We have to think about treatment programs, which are not being provided," said Stirna.
The police also agree that even criminal penalties do not scare drivers. "It is the high alcohol concentrations that dominate, two thirds are heavily intoxicated when they do not think about the consequences of their actions at all," Jančevskis said.
Both drug experts and police officers say that only fellow people can stop drinkers from getting behind the wheel.
