Female drivers taking these period painkillers could face an UNLIMITED fine and one year driving ban
FEMALE drivers taking certain period pain medications could fail roadside drug tests and face heavy penalties.
Motorists that take the common painkiller Solpadeine Plus could be slapped with an unlimited fine and a one year driving ban if they fail a roadside drug test.
Solpadeine Plus is marketed towards the "relief of period pain", among other conditions, and contains the substance codeine, which can cause you to fail a test.
Older versions of the common period painkiller Feminax also contain codeine, but the brand has removed the ingredient from their current products.
The active ingredient shows up in drug-driving tests, and enough of it could mean you'll be prosecuted if police think your driving has been impaired.
Codeine is classified as an opiate drug, which can an cause drowsiness or dizziness and may even affect your hearing, and can have a dangerous impact on your ability to drive.
What other medication ingredients could affect your driving ability?
The Government website advises you to consult your doctor about whether or not you should drive if you have taken any of the following drugs:
- amphetamine, eg dexamphetamine or selegiline
- clonazepam
- diazepam
- flunitrazepam
- lorazepam
- methadone
- morphine or opiate and opioid-based drugs, eg codeine, tramadol or fentanyl
- oxazepam
- temazepam
Drug-drive laws state that if you have more than 80 micrograms of codeine per litre of blood in your system, you will face a penalty - but even one dose has the potential to make you drowsy.
But GPs have now warned that the laws may mean drivers who regularly use the medication could be punished unfairly.
Following the introduction of new regulations in March 2015, police can test for eight prescription drugs and determine whether your driving had been impaired as a result of taking them.
Dr Mark Murphy, chair of communications for the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), told : "Care must be taken to ensure people are not incorrectly deemed to be unfit to drive, particularly older members of society.
"It is not a crime to test positive for opiates, but it is a crime to be impaired while driving.
"As a doctor it can sometimes be very hard to assess if somebody is impaired and there is no hard and fast objected criteria in this."
Of course, any driver that tests positive to illegal drugs such as cannabis and heroin will be immediately prosecuted.
Motorists convicted of drug-driving will be slapped with a minimum one-year driving ban and an unlimited fine.
In more serious cases, motorists can be given up to six months in prison and will incur a criminal record, with your driving licence showing a drug-driving conviction for the next 11 years.
Earlier this year, we reported how common flu medications could also land drivers serious penalities.