Approximately
one in six high school seniors in the United States admitted driving under the
influence of marijuana, according to a recent analysis of Monitoring the Future
data, and 41 percent of teens surveyed by SADD/Liberty Mutual said they were not
concerned about driving after using drugs.
Recently, the nation's Drug Czar and Secretary of Transportation were joined by
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), GEICO, Mitsubishi Motors North
America, and several driving safety leaders to steer teens clear of pot as they
prepare to take on the responsibility of driving. Television advertisements to
raise public awareness of the problem of drugged driving will run during the months
of September and October.
"Today's
teens have gotten the wrong message about marijuana," said John P. Walters,
Director of National Drug Control Policy. "Marijuana is harmful and can lead
to risky decisions, such as driving while high or riding with drivers who are
impaired. We want to encourage parents of new drivers to use this milestone in
their teen's life to discuss the dangers of marijuana and being responsible behind
the wheel." The
"Drugged Driving" short report from the National Survey on Drug Use
and Health shows that, in 2002, between 10 and 18 percent of young drivers age
17 to 21 reported driving under the influence of an illicit drug during the past
year. Driving-age teens (age 16-19) are also four times more likely to use marijuana
than younger adolescents (age 12-15). Estimates
based on Monitoring the Future and Census Bureau data also show that of the nearly
4 million high school seniors in the United States, approximately one in six (600,000)
drive under the influence of marijuana, a number nearly equivalent to those who
drive under the influence of alcohol (640,000). Additionally, an estimated 38,000
of these students reported in 2001 that they crashed while driving under the influence
of marijuana and 46,000 reported that they crashed while driving under the influence
of alcohol. Marijuana
affects concentration, perception, coordination, and reaction time, many of the
skills required for safe driving and other tasks. These effects can last up to
24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can also make it difficult to
judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road. Teens
are high-risk drivers and have the highest crash risk of any age group. Nearly
one in five 16-year-old drivers is involved in a collision in his or her first
year of driving, making motor vehicle crashes the leading cause of death for young
people age 15 to 20. Greater
parent involvement, clear rules, and parental supervision are associated with
less risky teen behavior, such as marijuana use and driving while high or under
the influence of alcohol. Crashes were one-seventh less likely to occur among
teens with strong parental monitoring, according to the Journal of Safety Research.
To learn
more about preventing youth marijuana and other illicit drug use, log on to www.TheAntiDrug.com
for parents and www.Freevibe.com
for teens. |