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Driving While Ambien'ed

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Tue Mar 07, 2006 at 11:21:13 PM EST
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The latest driving under the influence craze is upon us. Driving while Ambien'ed. I've heard of sleep-eating while Ambien'ed and amnesia from Ambien, but sleep-driving? Apparently, it's happening more and more.

Ambien, the nation's best-selling prescription sleeping pill, is showing up with regularity as a factor in traffic arrests, sometimes involving drivers who later say they were sleep-driving and have no memory of taking the wheel after taking the drug. In some state toxicology laboratories Ambien makes the top 10 list of drugs found in impaired drivers.

26.5 million Ambien scripts are written every year.

Ambien's maker, Sanofi-Aventis, says the drug's record after 13 years of use in this country shows it is safe when taken as directed. ...A spokeswoman for the F.D.A. said the drug's current label warnings, which say it should not be used with alcohol and in some cases could cause sleepwalking or hallucinations, were adequate.

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    Driving While Ambien'ed | 7 comments (7 topical)
    Re: Driving While Ambien'ed (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Mar 08, 2006 at 12:28:09 AM EST
    I've taken Ambien before, but only when I was ready for bed.

    Re: Driving While Ambien'ed (none / 0) (#2)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Mar 08, 2006 at 07:50:39 AM EST
    It's the Bushco DOC (drug of choice). "Yes. Well, I wouldn't call them that," Powell said. "They're a wonderful medication -- not medication. How would you call it? They're called Ambien, which is very good. You don't use Ambien? Everybody here uses Ambien." I got that from some site named talkleft.

    Re: Driving While Ambien'ed (none / 0) (#3)
    by jondee on Wed Mar 08, 2006 at 07:56:08 AM EST
    The thorazine stopped working.

    Re: Driving While Ambien'ed (none / 0) (#4)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Mar 08, 2006 at 08:05:23 AM EST
    BLOD's Bush lovers on drugs. And you thought I was kidding?

    Re: Driving While Ambien'ed (none / 0) (#5)
    by kdog on Wed Mar 08, 2006 at 08:14:51 AM EST
    Ambien Schmambien...have these people never heard of reefer? Very effective as an insomnia cure, without the liver damage and sleep-driving incidents.

    Re: Driving While Ambien'ed (none / 0) (#6)
    by scarshapedstar on Wed Mar 08, 2006 at 07:37:40 PM EST
    Ambien Schmambien...have these people never heard of reefer? Very effective as an insomnia cure, without the liver damage and sleep-driving incidents.
    Yeah, but that would exacerbate our deadly Dorito shortage.

    Re: Driving While Ambien'ed (none / 0) (#7)
    by Sailor on Wed Mar 08, 2006 at 07:44:35 PM EST
    Yeah, but that would exacerbate our deadly Dorito shortage.
    Point taken, but think of the replenishment of the snark reserves.

    Driving While Ambien'ed | 7 comments (7 topical)