[Youth-list] Drug-Impaired Driving by Youths Remains Serious Problem

[Elizabeth Shack]

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 
NIH News 
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 
<http://www.nida.nih.gov/>

For Immediate Release: Monday, October 29, 2007 
 
CONTACT: Peggy Dorie Hightower or Sara Rosario Wilson, 301-443-6245,
 <email: media at nida.nih.gov>; Contacto en Español: 301-594-6145 

DRUG-IMPAIRED DRIVING BY YOUTH REMAINS SERIOUS PROBLEM
Nearly a third of high school seniors say they have driven while "under
 the influence" or been in the car with an impaired driver.
 
Large numbers of American adolescents are putting themselves and others
 at great risk by driving while under the influence of illicit drugs or
 alcohol, according to a study funded by the National Institute on Drug
 Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In
 2006, 30 percent of high school seniors reported driving after drinking
 heavily or using drugs, or riding in a car whose driver had been drinking
 heavily or using drugs, at least once in the prior two weeks. These
 findings are based on data obtained from the Monitoring the Future study,
 in which nationally representative samples of high school seniors have
 been surveyed annually since 1975. The data analysis is published in
 the November issue of the "Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs".

"These findings are another wake-up call that we cannot afford to be
 complacent about this great public health risk," said Elias A. Zerhouni,
 NIH director. "This study shows that not only are too many teens
 putting themselves and others at risk by driving under the influence of
 drugs, but that there has been little improvement in the past six years."

Although there was some progress between 2001 and 2003, with rates
 declining from 35 to 31 percent, between 2004 to 2006 rates leveled off at
 just under 30 percent.

Dr. Patrick O'Malley, the lead author of the study, observes that,
 "Driving under the influence is not an alcohol-only problem. In 2006, 13
 percent of seniors said they drove after using marijuana while ten
 percent said they drove after having five or more drinks."

"Most teens are aware of the dangers of drinking and driving, yet many
 ignore it. And many don't seem to recognize the dangers of driving
 after using illicit drugs, including marijuana." said Dr. Nora Volkow, NIDA
 director. "Educational efforts need to be targeted to include the
 dangers of both drinking and drugged driving."

To inform prevention efforts, the researchers also sought to examine
 what demographic and lifestyle characteristics were associated with these
 behaviors. For example, males were more likely than females to drive
 after heavy drinking or marijuana use. And although there was little
 correlation between impaired driving and socioeconomic status or
 geographic region, individual lifestyle factors such as high religiosity, good
 grades, low truancy, or having two parents living at home were all
 associated with a lower likelihood of engaging in risky driving behaviors.
 For example, only 20 percent of those students with an A or A- GPA
 exposed themselves to these situations as opposed to almost 39 percent with
 a GPA of B- or below.

"Vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among those aged 15
 to 20," added Dr. Volkow. "Combining the lack of driving experience
 among teens with the use of marijuana and/or other substances that impair
 cognitive and motor abilities can be a deadly combination."

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National
 Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA
 supports most of the world's research on the health aspects of drug
 abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs
 to inform policy and improve practice. Fact sheets on the health
 effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other
 activities can be found on the NIDA home page at <www.drugabuse.gov>.
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