h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think the idea of drug abuser regulating their dosage effectively is a stretch.

Having an accident while under the influence of a highly additive sedative is not terribly surprising.

That should be 'addictive'.

If she was addicted, she wasn't so badly addicted as to be unable to keep a job.

In my somewhat checkered past, I've known a few people addicted to various substances. With the exception of those hooked on needle drugs, they've all had the ability to judge how much was "just enough to make it through the day."

On the other hand, they haven't all had the ability to stop at "just enough" if more was readily available.

The fact is, whether or not Silkwood regularly abused quaaludes is an open question. I don't have enough information to hold a strong opinion either way. If not for some of the other questions, I'd probably conclude that she was a habitual user. There's a reasonable case either way. I can't imagine that we'll ever know for sure.

NBY

There are a lot of functional drug users. There are also a lot of people who wind up driving to the extent that they are a less safe driver wihtout even realizing it. That's where most DUI's come from. It's fairly rare for a DUI suspect to think that they aren't safe to drive.

Impairment occurs before most people realize it.

Not gonna argue with you there. First, a habitual drug user who is "all right" is usually just less drugged than usual. Second, you've got the experience, and I have no reason to believe that you don't know what you're talking about.

I don't normally buy into conspiracy theories, and if it were just the drugs in her system, I'd probably be willing to believe that she just plain got stupid with drugs.

The radiation in her apartment and the uninvestigated damage to the rear of her car brings everything else into question, though.