Woods had five drugs in system at time of DUI arrest: report

[August 15, 2017]  (Reuters) - Former world number one golfer Tiger Woods had five different drugs in his system when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in May, according to an ESPN report on Monday.

ESPN, which cited a copy of the toxicology report, said Woods had Hydrocodone, the generic form of a painkiller branded as Vicodin; Hydromorphone, a painkiller known as Dilaudid; Alprazolam, a mood and sleep drug known as Xanax; Zolpidem, a sleep drug known as Ambien; and Delta-9 carboxy THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in his system.

It is not known if Woods had prescriptions for all of the medications. Medical marijuana is legal in Florida.

A request made by Reuters to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for a copy of the toxicology report was not returned.

Woods, who is second on the all-time list with 14 major titles, checked into a clinic in June for treatment to help deal with prescription drugs.

He said last month he had completed treatment.

"As I previously said, I received professional help to manage my medications," Woods said in a statement.

"Recently, I had been trying on my own to treat my back pain and a sleep disorder, including insomnia, but I realize now it was a mistake to do this without medical assistance.

"I am continuing to work with my doctors, and they feel I've made significant progress. I remain grateful for the amazing support that I continue to receive and for the family and friends that are assisting me."

Tiger Eldrick Woods appears in a booking photo released by Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., May 29, 2017. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Police found Woods stopped on the side of a Palm Beach-area road in his Mercedes-Benz at about 3 a.m. (0700 GMT) on May 29.

He had "extremely slow and slurred speech" after being awakened by a police officer but was cooperative and told officers he takes several prescriptions, including Xanax, according to a police report.

Woods, who had been heading away from his home, could not remember where he was going and told police he was returning from Los Angeles.

A blood test showed he had the painkiller Vicodin and the antidepressant Xanax in his system but no alcohol. He was charged with driving under the influence and improperly stopping his vehicle.

In a statement after his arrest, Woods apologized to fans and blamed the incident on prescription medication he was taking to manage pain from a recent back surgery.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

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