Russian drivers could face significant penalties, including fines up to 45,000 rubles and a two-year driving ban, for operating a vehicle under the influence of certain medications. The State Duma has already approved in the first reading a bill introducing liability for driving under the influence of medication.

The proposed law aims to expand the existing Code of Administrative Offenses, which currently addresses alcohol, drug, and psychotropic intoxication. The bill stipulates that a driver will be penalized if a medical examination reveals the presence of substances from medicinal products that impair attention and reaction, coupled with established clinical signs of intoxication.

The list of medications that may be prohibited while driving includes sedatives, hypnotics, antiepileptic drugs, anesthetics, and medications prescribed for Parkinson’s disease. According to lawyer Anastasia Yakovleva, driving after taking these prohibited medications will be treated similarly to driving under the influence of alcohol.

Liability will be determined by the simultaneous presence of a prohibited substance in the driver’s body and clinical signs of intoxication. This implies a change in the current procedure for medical examinations.

Uncertainty remains regarding how traffic police inspectors will identify drivers suspected of taking prohibited drugs. Furthermore, there is currently no clear list of prohibited drugs or instructions on how pharmacies should mark them.