A new study suggests more than 40 percent of U.S. drivers who use cannabis and alcohol have also driven under the influence of one or both of these substances. Priscila Dib Gonçalves, Ph.D, a public health researcher at Columbia University in New York City and the study’s lead author, says alcohol and cannabis are among the most common drugs involved in impaired driving and motor vehicle accidents in the United States.
Over 34,000 data points collected:
In the study, published in February 2022 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, survey data was collected from more than 34,000 drivers who replied to questions about their drug use and driving experiences. Overall, 20 percent of the drivers reported daily cannabis use, while 8 percent reported daily alcohol use. The majority of respondents reported using cannabis and alcohol at the same time.
Combined use increases risk:
The study found that drivers who used cannabis and alcohol at the same time were 2.9 times more likely to drive while impaired. Those who consumed both substances were also 3.5 times more likely to drive while impaired. Russell Griffin, PhD, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who wasn’t involved in the study, says that people may not realize how quickly alcohol and cannabis can impair driving abilities. After drinking alcohol or using cannabis products, they may erroneously believe they can drive while under the influence, putting themselves in dangerous situations.
Drinking and driving- Misconceptions:
In Griffin’s view, part of the problem is that people inadvertently believe they can drive safely if their blood alcohol level remains below the legal limit. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an adult weighing 160 pounds needs about four drinks to reach a blood alcohol level of 0.08. One drink is defined as a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. The CDC notes that people have poor coordination, a reduced ability to track moving objects, and have difficulty moving after four drinks.
Griffin says that with a blood alcohol level of 0.02, well below the legal limit, drivers can have slowed reaction times and less ability to drive safely. Additionally, Griffin says, there is no nationally recognized standard to determine if people are too impaired by cannabis to operate a motor vehicle, comparable to blood alcohol levels. According to Griffin, these substances can increase your risk of risky driving behaviors and a collision, which can result in the harm of others on the highway.
Combining both substances can be even more dangerous. Those under the influence of cannabis, according to a study published in 2022 in Addiction, tended to move more slowly and had difficulty driving straight. This study found that people’s driving performance was negatively affected when using both cannabis and alcohol at the same time.
Marijuana legalization in many states may give drivers a false sense of security on the road, according to Mary Ann Fitzcharles, an associate professor of medicine at McGill University in Montreal. Fitzcharles, who was not involved in the study, emphasizes that legality does not equate to safety behind the wheel. According to Fitzcharles, large amounts of evidence suggest that marijuana use and alcohol consumption impair driving performance. Moreover, the combination of both substances is even more detrimental to driving performance than either substance alone.
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