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Local Authorities: Recent Weekend Stretch Sees 16 DUIs

Greg Matthews
/
Flickr.com

Eugene police say 16 people were arrested for driving under the influence…all between Thursday night and Sunday morning.  As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, authorities want drivers to exercise safe judgment before taking the wheel. 

Melinda McLaughlin of the EPD says this compares dramatically to the same time period in 2014, when seven DUIs were reported. The number has steadily ticked up since.

Credit Melinda McLaughlin, PIO / Eugene Police Department
/
Eugene Police Department
Eugene Police Department tracking DUIs from 2014-2017 for the same period (last Thursday-Sunday morning stretch in February)

McLaughlin says the EPD does not track DUIs specifically by substance…

“…but anecdotally, our officers are saying that they have seen more DUIs involving marijuana or combination," she tells KLCC.  

"Edibles can sometimes contain a lot of marijuana and if somebody’s not educated properly on what the proper dose is for their body they could very easily take more than their body can handle safely and drive.” 

Police say today’s strain of marijuana tends to have boosted THC levels, which can produce a more potent high than ever before. 

People under the influence of any intoxicant – whether it’s alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, or other substances – are encouraged to catch a taxi or bus, if they have to travel. 

Brian Bull is an assistant professor of journalism at the University of Oregon, and remains a contributor to the KLCC news department. He began working with KLCC in June 2016.   In his 27+ years as a public media journalist, he's worked at NPR, Twin Cities Public Television, South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Wisconsin Public Radio, and ideastream in Cleveland. His reporting has netted dozens of accolades, including four national Edward R. Murrow Awards (22 regional),  the Ohio Associated Press' Best Reporter Award, Best Radio Reporter from  the Native American Journalists Association, and the PRNDI/NEFE Award for Excellence in Consumer Finance Reporting.
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