Ahn Cheol-soo introduces drug-driving bill to prevent repeat of Apgujeong Rolls-Royce incident

By Jung Seok-jun, The Herald Business

People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo on Wednesday introduced a bill to amend the Narcotics Control Act, requiring that patients be clearly warned of the dangers of driving after taking narcotics or psychotropic drugs, with the aim of preventing drug-impaired driving accidents.

Current law focuses primarily on the manufacturing, imports, retail distribution, prescription and management of narcotics. It does not sufficiently require that patients be informed of the risks of driving after taking narcotics or psychotropic drugs.

Narcotics and psychotropic drugs can cause dizziness, drowsiness, hallucinations, auditory disturbances and cognitive impairment, directly affecting a driver's judgment and reaction time. Despite this, warnings about drug-impaired driving have not been adequately emphasized during medication counseling, on drug containers and packaging, or in package inserts — prompting calls for systemic improvements to prevent accidents.

The proposed amendment would require licensed narcotic retailers and others providing verbal medication counseling to explain the risks and precautions of drug-impaired driving to patients or their guardians. When written medication guides are provided, those guides must include relevant drug-driving warnings. Narcotic importers and exporters would also be required to include drug-driving risk information and precautions on containers, packaging and package inserts.

"Simply making sure patients who take narcotics or psychotropic drugs are clearly informed of the driving risks can prevent many accidents," Ahn said. "To ensure that tragedies like the Apgujeong Rolls-Royce incident are never repeated, we must strengthen drug-driving warnings at the medication counseling and labeling stages." He added that he would "do everything possible through this amendment to create a safer traffic environment and protect the lives of the public."