its becoming as bad as drinking and driving...thinkin alot of peeps cld care less about this stuff.
Toking and driving
Toking and driving is on the rise in Canada, and so are the risks of becoming involved in a cannabis-related traffic accident, says a pilot study conducted by Dr. Benedikt Fischer and a team of Toronto researchers.
The study collected data on university students aged 18–28 who had recently driven a car after using cannabis. Respondents were questioned about their:
* cannabis and other drug use
* cannabis use and driving (CUD) experiences
* exposure to law enforcement and vehicle accidents.
The study also compared respondents’ perceptions of cannabis impairment effects with those related to alcohol consumption. Finally, students were asked whether they anticipated driving under the influence of cannabis in the future.
According to the survey results, CUD is most likely to occur in situations where young people are socializing with friends and family members who endorse cannabis use. Many respondents believed the risks involved with CUD were low, and a significant number said they were likely in future to get behind the wheel of a car after smoking up. The study also revealed a link between high frequency cannabis use and CUD.
Part of the problem, says Fischer and his team, is young people’s perception of the low risk of cannabis-related apprehension and punishment. While the Criminal Code of Canada prohibits driving while impaired by any psychoactive substance, no official restrictions exist for drug-impaired driving. What’s more, no legal tools are available to demand drug-impairment testing.
The perception that cannabis use and CUD are low-risk activities is likely to persist with recently-proposed legislation to downgrade simple cannabis possession from a criminal offense to a “ticketing” offense followed by a fine. Fischer’s team believes decriminalization may result in increased cannabis use and higher incidence of CUD among adolescents and young adults.
Part of the solution rests in reaching young people with targeted information addressing the impairment potential of cannabis. For example, cannabis users should be made aware that:
* cannabis can acutely impair key psychomotor skills important for driving for at least a few hours
* effects are multiplied by concurrent alcohol use
* drivers acutely under the influence of cannabis are at higher risk for accidents resulting in injury or death.
Fischer, B., Rodopoulos, J., Rehm, J. and Ivsins, A. (2006). Toking and driving: Characteristics of Canadian university students who drive after cannabis use—an exploratory pilot study. Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 13(2):179-187.
Published by:
The Link
Newsletter of the Centre for Addictions Research of BC
Centre for Additctions Research of BC
Vol 2, Issue 1, September 2006 Fischer, B., Rodopoulos, J., Rehm, J. and Ivsins, A. (2006). Toking and driving: Characteristics of Canadian university students who drive after cannabis use—an exploratory pilot study. Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 13(2):179-187.
