Pubdate: Fri, 28 Oct 2005
Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN)
Copyright: 2005 The Leader-Post Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361
Author: Charles Mandel, CanWest News Service
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?224 (Cannabis and Driving)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

TEENS TOKING INSTEAD OF DRINKING

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 had smoked marijuana were four times more likely to be
involved in an accident than those who hadn't.

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 Halifax's Dalhousie University.

The study arrives 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 toked
(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 kids 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.

"There seems to be small subgroups of kids, typically young males, who
are all doing all of these behaviours, not necessarily all at the same
time," Asbridge said.

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 law enforcement agencies, educators and
organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) are not
sending out strong enough messages about drugs and driving.

He said MADD "does fantastic work with alcohol, but are only starting
to get into the drug business."

In the late summer, MADD launched a new campaign targeting
drug-impaired driving aimed at high school and post-secondary students.

"The drugs are popular with the kids, the marijuana is popular with
the students, and they do think it's OK to toke and drive. It's quite
a concern for us." said Karen Dunham, president of MADD.

"We do find a lot of young Canadians just don't get it. If you're
high, don't drive." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake