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Letters are welcomed and will be published, iffound suitable, as space permits. The editors reserve the right to edit and abridge letters, to publish replies, and to solicit responses from authors and others. Letters should be submitted in duplicate, double-spaced (including references), and generally should not exceed 400 words.
Kola Nut and Road Traffic Accidents in Nigeria A number of drugs have been found to make the automobile driver more prone to road accidents due to their effects on the central nervous system. Alcohol is the commonest and most important of this group consequently it has been studied exten-
sively. 1-3 Others include psychotropic drugs (chlordiazepoxide, amylobarbitone sodium, trifluoperzine)4 and meprobamate and chlorpromazine.5. 6 These drugs have been found to affect the driver's performance which is worsened when he is also under the influence of alcohol. An inquiry of the mental state of 555 drivers involved in road accidents in Nigeria showed that while 7.74 per cent of them admitted having drunk alcohol, 12.25 per cent had eaten kola nut. Kola nut (of which there are two species: Cola nitida and Cola acuminata) contains 2.5 per cent of caffeine, 0.023 per cent of theobromine, 1.618 per cent of tannins, and a considerable amount of fructose.7 Both species have about the same concentration of caffeine. It is used commercially as a dye and for producing soft drinks. Due mainly to the effects of caffeine on the central nervous system, kola nut is a stimulant and appetite depressant.8 It is widely eaten in Nigeria. After consuming the kola nut, one can go for hours without food or sleep, thus postponing the onset of fatigue. Hence eating kola nut results in a poor quality 1228
Letters to the Editor and quantity of rest before a journey. Prior fatigue is recognized as an important factor in high accident rates within the first hour of driving.9 Among 792 drivers involved in accidents studied by us, 74 per cent had accidents within the first two hours of driving (52 per cent within the first hour, 22 per cent within the second hour). Fatigue induced by the insomnia following kola nut ingestion may have contributed to this high percentage. In view of the fact that kola nut produces its effects mainly due to its caffeine content, it should be classified as a drug and studied in order to establish, as with alcohol,10 the quantity compatible with safety on the roads. The potential of its effects with alcohol and other drugs needs to be investigated also. The road traffic accident rates in Nigeria are higher than those in both the industrialized and developing countries of the world."' 12 It is possible that the extensive use of kola nut as a stimulant by drivers, especially those traveling long distances, is a significant factor in the toll on the Nigerian roads. Dr. S.E. Asogwa Senior Lecturer, Department of Preventive and Community Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria
REFERENCES 1. Drew GC, et al: The effects of small doses of alcohol on a skill resembling driving. Brit Med J, 2, 973-999, 1958. 2. British Medical Association. Alcohol and Road Accidents: Report of a special BMA Committee. Brit Med J, 1, 269-
272, 1960. 3. Canadian Medical Association. Report of the Medical Committee on the Medical Aspects of Traffic Accidents. Canada Med Assn J, 95, 488-493, 1966. 4. Clayton AB, Betts TA and Mackay GM: A study of the effects of certain tran-
5. 6.
7.
8. 9. 10.
11.
quilizers and small amounts of alcohol on driving performance. Extrait du Bulletin de Chimie therapeutique, 4, 254256, 1972. Zirkle JA, et al: Effects of chlorpromazine and alcohol on coordination and judgment. JAMA, 171, 1496-1499, 1959. Zirkle JA, et al: Meprobamate and small amounts of alcohol: Effects on human ability, coordination and judgment. JAMA, 173, 1823-1825, 1960. Oliver B: Medicinal Plants of Nigeria. Published as a private edition by The Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan, 1960. Lewis WH and Elvin-Lewis MPF: Medical Botany. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1977. McFarland RA: Psychological and psychiatric aspects of highway safety. JAMA, 163, 233-237, 1957. World Health Organization. Report of Inter-regional Seminar on Epidemiology, Control and Prevention of Road Traffic Accidents. WHO/Accid. Prev./ 66/6, World Health Organization, Geneva, 1966. Schram R: Epidemiology of road accidents in Africa. The Bulletin of the In-
ternational Epidemiological Association African Regional Meeting, 20: 105-123, 1970. 12. Jacobs GD and Louracre PR: Further research on road accident rates in developing countries. TRRL Supplementary Report 270. Road Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, England, 1977.
Comments on 'The Environmental Challenge' In his editorial comments on "The Environmental Challenge" (AJPH 6/ 78), Wegman asserted the "reemergence of popular protest against nuclear power and even high power transmission lines has gained a growing coalition of young and old, liberal and conservative calling for the preservation of the environment". This assertion is open to challenge on several grounds. From a front seat viewpoint for over a decade, it is not at all clear to me AJPH December 1978, Vol. 68, No. 12
Letters are welcomed and will be published, iffound suitable, as space permits. The editors reserve the right to edit and abridge letters, to publish replies, and to solicit responses from authors and others. Letters should be submitted in duplicate, double-spaced (including references), and generally should not exceed 400 words.
Kola Nut and Road Traffic Accidents in Nigeria A number of drugs have been found to make the automobile driver more prone to road accidents due to their effects on the central nervous system. Alcohol is the commonest and most important of this group consequently it has been studied exten-
sively. 1-3 Others include psychotropic drugs (chlordiazepoxide, amylobarbitone sodium, trifluoperzine)4 and meprobamate and chlorpromazine.5. 6 These drugs have been found to affect the driver's performance which is worsened when he is also under the influence of alcohol. An inquiry of the mental state of 555 drivers involved in road accidents in Nigeria showed that while 7.74 per cent of them admitted having drunk alcohol, 12.25 per cent had eaten kola nut. Kola nut (of which there are two species: Cola nitida and Cola acuminata) contains 2.5 per cent of caffeine, 0.023 per cent of theobromine, 1.618 per cent of tannins, and a considerable amount of fructose.7 Both species have about the same concentration of caffeine. It is used commercially as a dye and for producing soft drinks. Due mainly to the effects of caffeine on the central nervous system, kola nut is a stimulant and appetite depressant.8 It is widely eaten in Nigeria. After consuming the kola nut, one can go for hours without food or sleep, thus postponing the onset of fatigue. Hence eating kola nut results in a poor quality 1228
Letters to the Editor and quantity of rest before a journey. Prior fatigue is recognized as an important factor in high accident rates within the first hour of driving.9 Among 792 drivers involved in accidents studied by us, 74 per cent had accidents within the first two hours of driving (52 per cent within the first hour, 22 per cent within the second hour). Fatigue induced by the insomnia following kola nut ingestion may have contributed to this high percentage. In view of the fact that kola nut produces its effects mainly due to its caffeine content, it should be classified as a drug and studied in order to establish, as with alcohol,10 the quantity compatible with safety on the roads. The potential of its effects with alcohol and other drugs needs to be investigated also. The road traffic accident rates in Nigeria are higher than those in both the industrialized and developing countries of the world."' 12 It is possible that the extensive use of kola nut as a stimulant by drivers, especially those traveling long distances, is a significant factor in the toll on the Nigerian roads. Dr. S.E. Asogwa Senior Lecturer, Department of Preventive and Community Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria
REFERENCES 1. Drew GC, et al: The effects of small doses of alcohol on a skill resembling driving. Brit Med J, 2, 973-999, 1958. 2. British Medical Association. Alcohol and Road Accidents: Report of a special BMA Committee. Brit Med J, 1, 269-
272, 1960. 3. Canadian Medical Association. Report of the Medical Committee on the Medical Aspects of Traffic Accidents. Canada Med Assn J, 95, 488-493, 1966. 4. Clayton AB, Betts TA and Mackay GM: A study of the effects of certain tran-
5. 6.
7.
8. 9. 10.
11.
quilizers and small amounts of alcohol on driving performance. Extrait du Bulletin de Chimie therapeutique, 4, 254256, 1972. Zirkle JA, et al: Effects of chlorpromazine and alcohol on coordination and judgment. JAMA, 171, 1496-1499, 1959. Zirkle JA, et al: Meprobamate and small amounts of alcohol: Effects on human ability, coordination and judgment. JAMA, 173, 1823-1825, 1960. Oliver B: Medicinal Plants of Nigeria. Published as a private edition by The Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan, 1960. Lewis WH and Elvin-Lewis MPF: Medical Botany. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1977. McFarland RA: Psychological and psychiatric aspects of highway safety. JAMA, 163, 233-237, 1957. World Health Organization. Report of Inter-regional Seminar on Epidemiology, Control and Prevention of Road Traffic Accidents. WHO/Accid. Prev./ 66/6, World Health Organization, Geneva, 1966. Schram R: Epidemiology of road accidents in Africa. The Bulletin of the In-
ternational Epidemiological Association African Regional Meeting, 20: 105-123, 1970. 12. Jacobs GD and Louracre PR: Further research on road accident rates in developing countries. TRRL Supplementary Report 270. Road Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, England, 1977.
Comments on 'The Environmental Challenge' In his editorial comments on "The Environmental Challenge" (AJPH 6/ 78), Wegman asserted the "reemergence of popular protest against nuclear power and even high power transmission lines has gained a growing coalition of young and old, liberal and conservative calling for the preservation of the environment". This assertion is open to challenge on several grounds. From a front seat viewpoint for over a decade, it is not at all clear to me AJPH December 1978, Vol. 68, No. 12
