ACMT Highlights The Effect of Medical Marijuana on Driving Performance in the Journal of Medical Toxicology
Phoenix, Arizona (PRWEB) September 09, 2014 -- The September 2014 issue of the Journal of Medical Toxicology (JMT) features a comprehensive and up-to-date review of marijuana as it relates to driving performance and traffic safety. Now legal in more than 20 states, medical marijuana’s influence on public safety is a continuing debate among policy makers, prescribers, and patients. Since alcohol and opioids have been irrefutably linked with motor vehicle collisions, many worry the same will inevitably be true with medical marijuana. In this comprehensive review of the most recent scientific literature, lead author Mark Neavyn, MD, director of Medical Toxicology at Hartford Hospital, notes, “As with other medications that affect psychomotor function and judgment, the healthcare provider and patient should be informed of the potential risks to driver safety prior to prescribing this psychotropic drug.” The information in this article will be indispensible to healthcare providers seeking a deeper understanding of the effects marijuana has on their patients. In addition, the paper will inform law enforcement and policy makers on the complexity of marijuana and driver impairment.
Also featured in the September issue of JMT is a series of articles that add important knowledge to our understanding of complications resulting from exposure to concentrated laundry detergent pods. Sales of concentrated laundry detergent pods have skyrocketed since their introduction in the US in 2010, and exposures among children have risen concomitantly in large part due to their colorful and toy-like appearance. Jason Russell, DO and co-authors from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio describe dermal burns from laundry pod exposure, and Erika Smith, MD and colleagues from the University of Alabama in Birmingham describe a series of patients with esophageal injury from pod ingestion.
Other highlights in the September issue include a report of occupational carbon monoxide poisoning due to lighting hookahs, or water pipes, at a hookah bar; a report about a new recreational drug hitting the streets called methiopropamine; and new data on the potential downside of using intravenous fat emulsion for treating overdose. These articles and other regular features are available in the September edition of JMT (Volume 10, Issue 3). An informative audio summary of the issue is available in the September 2014 Journal of Medical Toxicology Podcast.
ACMT is a professional, nonprofit association of physicians with recognized expertise in medical toxicology. The College is dedicated to advancing the science and practice of medical
ACMT, American College of Medical Toxicology, http://www.acmt.net, +1 (623) 533-6340, [email protected]
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