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Risk Factors for Driving After and During Marijuana Use
Elizabeth R Aston1, Jennifer E Merrill1, Denis M McCarthy2
1Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
|March 22, 2016
Summary
Driving after smoking marijuana (DASM) and smoking marijuana while driving (SMWD) are common. Perceived peer norms and the perceived dangerousness of DASM were associated with less frequent DASM and SMWD.
Area of Science:
- Drug Use and Impaired Driving Research
- Traffic Safety and Public Health
Background:
- Marijuana use impairs driving ability, increasing motor vehicle accident risk.
- Driving under the influence of marijuana (DUI) is a prevalent behavior among users.
- The underlying causes of marijuana-impaired driving remain under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine marijuana outcome expectancies and driving-related cognitions as predictors of driving after smoking marijuana (DASM) and smoking marijuana while driving (SMWD).
- To understand the etiology of driving while under the influence of marijuana.
Main Methods:
- A community sample of 151 frequent marijuana users completed questionnaires.
- Social learning theory guided the examination of predictors for DASM and SMWD frequency.
- Variables assessed included marijuana outcome expectancies and driving-related cognitions.
Main Results:
- Perceived peer norms regarding DASM and SMWD were associated with lower frequencies of these behaviors.
- Perception of fewer friends disapproving of DASM, SMWD, and riding with an impaired driver correlated with reduced DASM and SMWD.
- Perceived dangerousness of DASM was linked to a decreased frequency of DASM.
Conclusions:
- Findings highlight the role of social norms and perceived risk in deterring marijuana-impaired driving.
- Identified factors offer potential targets for interventions aimed at reducing DASM and SMWD.
- Interventions could focus on changing perceptions of peer disapproval and the risks associated with driving after marijuana use.
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