DUI and Prescription Drugs

DUI for Prescription Drugs in Nevada

Alcohol is usually the first thing people think of when they hear about driving under the influence, but Nevada law punishes drug use, including prescription drugs, in the same way as DUIs involving alcohol.

When can prescription drug use result in a DUI in Las Vegas?

Driving under the influence in Nevada does not require you to be so impaired that you cannot safely drive a car. Instead, if you have a certain amount of alcohol in your blood, or marijuana , illegal drugs, or prescription drugs in your system, you can be charged.

The state prosecutes DUI even when the driver is not driving erratically because it believes that certain drugs, including prescriptions, can make a driver unsafe on the road due to increased reaction time, drowsiness, weakness, or reduced coordination. One or all of these can make a driver have poor judgment in traffic.

What is the sentence for driving under the influence of prescription drugs in Nevada?

Just like a first time DUI conviction involving alcohol, driving under the influence of prescription drugs is a misdemeanor offense. A Las Vegas misdemeanor is punished as follows:

• 2 days to 6 months in jail, or 48 to 96 hours of community service instead of jail time;
• Fines and court costs ranging from $400 to $1,000; and
• Required participation in a course which teaches the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

In addition to these penalties for DUI involving prescription drugs in Nevada, you may also be required to go to rehab. You can also lose your license for up to 1 year.

Penalties for DUI in Nevada increase for each offense that occurs within a 7 year period. Therefore, it is very important to have excellent representation by a Las Vegas DUI defense lawyer to potentially reduce the charges or get you acquitted. This avoids a conviction that adds to your “tally” of DUIs in a 7 year time frame.

DUI involving prescription drugs that seriously injure or kill another person

As with other felony DUIs, the penalties greatly increase if you drive under the influence of prescription drugs and the result is serious injury or death of another person.