The Nation's Drug Czar announced a renewed effort to educate parents and teens about the driving-related risks of marijuana use. Joined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), GEICO and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), the Drug Czar cited higher marijuana rates among young driving crash victims and urged teens to "steer clear of pot" at the start of National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month.

"Unfortunately, many young drivers don't yet understand the risks associated with marijuana and driving," said John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy. "Marijuana impairs driving and leads to risky decisions. Parents of new drivers can use the milestone of earning a driver's license to discuss the dangers of marijuana and being responsible behind the wheel-before they hand over the car keys."

"Teens' inexperience on the road and risk-taking behavior, combined with drug and alcohol use, is a recipe for disaster," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D. "As we look back at a year marred by several high-profile teen crashes and fatalities, we are reminded that we still have a lot of work to do to steer new drivers in the right direction."

Results of an ongoing study at a large shock trauma unit found that one in six (17 percent) crash victims tested positive for marijuana. These rates were higher among the younger crash victims with 19 percent under age 18 testing positive for marijuana (Epidemiology of Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among Motor Vehicle Crash Victims Admitted to a Trauma Center, 2004).
Recent findings published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol show that high school students are more likely to drink, smoke cigarettes, and smoke marijuana during the period immediately after earning their drivers' licenses and their driving behaviors become riskier with more driving experience.

Teens are just as likely to drive under the influence of marijuana as alcohol. According to Monitoring the Future data, approximately one in six (15 percent) teens reported driving under the influence of marijuana, a number nearly equivalent to those who reported driving under the influence of alcohol (16 percent), despite higher prevalence of alcohol consumption among teens.

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