Pubdate: Fri, 28 Oct 2005
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 The Edmonton Journal
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Charles Mandel, CanWest News Service
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Cannabis and Driving)

TEENS TURN TO TOKING BEFORE DRIVING: STUDY

Drug-Impaired Driving Message Getting Lost

Education campaigns aimed at drinking and driving may be reaching
teens, but are less effective when it comes to drug-impaired driving.

A new study finds teens are more likely to drive after smoking
marijuana than after drinking, according to a recent study of 6,000
Atlantic Canadians in Grades 10 and 12.

Fifteen per cent of the 15- and 18-year-olds surveyed drove under the
influence of cannabis last year, compared to 12 per cent who drove
after drinking, says a study published in the journal, Accident
Analysis and Prevention.

Drivers who smoked marijuana were four times more likely to be
involved in a crash than those who had not. The study's results are
considered accurate within 1.6 percentage points, 99 times out of 100.

"While we seem to be doing a pretty good job of letting young people
know that alcohol and driving don't mix, they don't seem to be getting
the same message with respects to other drugs," said Mark Asbridge,
co-author of the study and an assistant professor in community health
and epidemiology at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

The study was released just as health agencies and not-for-profit
groups

are starting to put a new emphasis on driving-and-drugs education
programs and as the federal government's Bill

C-16, aimed at amending the Criminal Code on drug-impaired driving, is
in second reading.

The study, by Asbridge with Christiane Poulin and Andrea Donato, found
the students surveyed more commonly drank (62.6 per cent) than smoked
(33.6 per cent).

"Consumption of alcohol is still higher than the consumption of
cannabis, which is really the interesting twist," Asbridge said. "We
can suggest that the fact cannabis now succeeds alcohol in terms of
driving while impaired, based on these adolescents, the message is
getting lost somewhere."

While it could be inferred the teens are experiencing more car
accidents because of marijuana use, Asbridge said another argument is
that kids who drive under the influence of cannabis also engage in
other risky behaviours, such as driving without a licence and using
fake ID to buy liquor, as well as driving after drinking.

The study based its results on teens who toked one hour before
driving. Students who held a licence for more than one year were at
greatest risk for an accident.

Asbridge suggested police, educators and organizations like Mothers
Against Drunk Driving are not sending out strong enough messages about
drugs and driving.

In late November the Canadian Public Health Association will launch
its Cannabis and Driving Project, a public information campaign aimed
at teens age 14 to 18. The campaign will include posters, a website
and a discussion guide for educators and counsellors.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin