Question: My husband got a DUI in Cherokee County and I don’t think it was because of just drinking. I think he got into an accident because he was drinking and taking Viagra and that, somehow, caused the accident. He said that he basically fainted in the car and lost control of it and he went into a ditch. Then the cops came and arrested him.
My husband has always been able to hold his liquor. When we were at Georgia State University he was always drinking his beers, tequila or vodka. He just loved to have a drink in his hand when he was relaxing or studying, and he was really fun to be around most of the time.
After we were married he kept up the drinking and occasionally smoked pot, too. Recently he’s actually started sniffing grated chocolate to get high. He said it’s a cheap, legal buzz. But I do get worried when he combines booze, weed and sniffing chocolate. Sometimes he gets out of control and says stupid things like telling my sister she’s ugly, or my mom that she’s stupid, or telling my dad that he’s a homosexual. But he never really drinks and drives.
About a month ago he started buying Viagra and Cialis online, thru some internet pharmacy. I’ve noticed that he can faint after he drinks and uses his Viagra or Cialis. The other night we went out to dinner and when he went out to get gas by himself later that night, he crashed the car and got a DUI. That day I know he took his Viagra a couple of times.
So I’m wondering if the Viagra had anything to do with his DUI, and, if it did, can that be used to help his DUI defense.
S.B. in Cherokee County, Georgia
Answer: Both alcohol and the drug Viagra (Cialis, too) lower your blood pressure. If your blood pressure level gets too low, you can experience dizziness, light-headedness, and fainting. So it is entirely possible that his fainting in the car was caused by drinking and taking Viagra.
Under Georgia law, § 40-6-391, someone is considered DUI if they are a less safe driver because they consumed alcohol or any drug (legal or illegal).
We’d certainly like to know some more information about his arrest. For instance, we’d like to know if he took a breath or blood test, and if he told the police officer that he combined his medication with alcohol.
Because so many people are on medications, cops are being trained to check if someone suspected of DUI is taking prescription drugs. Combining medications and alcohol can certainly cause a DUI.