DEAR ABBY: What are the dangers of driving while on strong painkillers? Since codeine is a controlled substance that you have to sign for to receive the prescription, does it impair distance vision and reaction time?
My elderly dad says as long as he has taken the pill the night before, it's all right for him to drive. He takes about 12 different medications every day, and the pain medicine must stay in his system at all times to work effectively.
Are other drivers in danger when he drives under the influence of prescription drugs? Can he be arrested if he hits someone? His car is already dented because he hit something. It would be a shame for him to cause some innocent driver who encounters him on the highway to be crippled or die. What do you think? -- MEDICATED IN RALEIGH, N.C.
DEAR MEDICATED: I am not an expert in pharmacology. I suggest you compile a list of all the drugs your father is taking -- both prescription drugs and the over-the-counter variety. Take the list to his pharmacist and ask these questions. He or she can give you the answers you need because some drugs can interact with each other.