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Kids, Drugs and Cars: Alcohol,
Cannabis and Driving Among Ontario Students
March 3, 2003
As many students drive after using cannabis as drive after drinking alcohol according
to a study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) published in the
March 4th issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The study found that 20% of students in grades 10 to 13 (OAC students) with a
driver's licence have driven within one hour of using cannabis, while15% report driving
after drinking (difference lacks statistical significance). About one-third of all
students in grades 7 to 13 (OAC students) report being a passenger driven by a driver
who had been drinking.
"These findings have important public health implications that require future
research and monitoring," said Dr. Ed Adlaf, CAMH Research Scientist and lead
author of the study. "First, there is concern about students who report driving
after drinking, particularly since almost all are under the legal drinking age, and
most have a Graduated Licence for which the 'legal limit' is 0 mg%. Second, students
who ride with a drinking driver are being exposed to the largest risk factor for
the leading cause of death among adolescents. Third, driving after using cannabis
is a health risk behaviour that may be as dangerous as driving after drinking,"
said Adlaf, who is also an associate professor with the Department of Public Health
Sciences at the University of Toronto.
The data came from the 2001 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey (OSDUS). OSDUS is
Canada's longest running school survey conducted every two years since 1977. The
survey included 4,211 7th- to 13th-graders (OAC students) from 41 school boards and
106 schools (43 elementary, 63 secondary).
"I'm quite concerned that our findings indicate that young people might think
that driving after the use of cannabis is a safe activity, when it isn't. We need
to do more to educate young people about these potential hazards," said Dr.
Robert Mann, a Senior Scientist at CAMH and associate professor, Public Health Sciences,
University of Toronto. Mann co-authored the study with Dr. Adlaf and Angela Paglia,
a CAMH Research Analyst. Dr. Mann is also a Project Leader for the AUTO21 Network
of Centres of Excellence, a research network supported by the federal government
and its research granting agencies.
CAMH has implemented many clinical, educational, research, and prevention initiatives
for adolescents with addiction and/or mental health issues over the years. A list
of these initiatives can be found on the CAMH website at www.camh.net.
CAMH is a Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Collaborating
Centre and a teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.
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Media Contact: Anne Ptasznik, CAMH Media Relations Coordinator, 416-595-6015.
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