High school juniors and seniors have a laid-back attitude about teen drinking and driving on prom night, according to a new national survey. Ninety percent say that their peers are likely to drink and drive on prom night, yet only 29 percent said that was a reason for concern.

The survey of 2,500 students found similar results for graduation night, with 80 percent saying their peers would drink and drive that night, and only 25 percent expressing concern. Liberty Mutual Insurance conducted the research in conjunction with SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions).

• The survey also found that 36 percent of teenagers report that their parents allow them to attend parties where it is known that alcohol will be served.
• 14 percent reported that their parents have hosted such parties for teenagers.
  
• One in three teens said they often change songs on MP3 players or text messages while driving.
• 25 percent said they talk on the cell phone while driving and drive with multiple passengers. These distractions pose risks for drivers of all ages.

"Newspapers, television, YouTube, and Facebook are rife with tales of tragedy or reckless driving on prom and graduation nights, yet an 'it won't happen to me' attitude continues to be so pervasive among teenagers," said Dave Melton, a spokesperson for Liberty Mutual Insurance Research Institute. "Add to the alcohol factor, distractions like texting or talking on cell phones while driving or the greater likelihood of multiple people in the car, and the crash potential is very real."

Labels: drinking_driving

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Recent research from Rhode Island reinforces important information that is likely to run contrary to what teens who abuse alcohol think about their ability to function. Even if you think you are not too drunk to drive, you may be wrong, according to a new study from the nonprofit healthcare organization Lifespan.

• Lead author Peter Snyder and his colleagues had young people drink until they were legally drunk with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.10%.
• Then participants tried to navigate a computer maze as their BACs slowly fell to normal levels.
• Although participants told researchers they felt less drunk, they still kept making mistakes on the maze that the vast majority of sober people do not.

"The subjective feeling that you are drunk does recover more quickly," Snyder said. "This explains why so many individuals feel subjectively that they are able to get into a car and be able to drive and feel safe. But that subjective impression does not mesh with the actual recovery in terms of higher order executive function."

The study appeared in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.
 

Labels: alcohol_abuse, drinking_driving, effects

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

People drive just as often under the influence of drugs as they do while impaired by alcohol, according to a new study from Canada.

• Researchers from the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse found that 10% of drivers test positive for drugs and 8% test positive for alcohol.
• In a study by Dr. Douglas Beirness, who is affiliated with the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse, 33% of drivers in fatal automobile crashes were under the influence of drugs, and 38% were under the influence of alcohol.
• The 14,000 crashes in the study occurred between 2000 and 2006, and the most common drugs were depressants, stimulants, and marijuana.

"Illegal, prescription and some over-the-counter drugs can have serious effects on a variety of mental and motor abilities," Dr. Beirness said. "As many of these abilities are critical to the safe operation of a motor vehicle, there is a real need for an impaired-driving awareness campaign inclusive of both alcohol and drugs."

This study was presented at the International Council on Alcohol Drugs and Traffic Safety in Norway.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, drug use, drinking_driving

Posted By: CRC Health Group 2 Comments

 

In an article that appeared in the Jan. 2 edition of the Dallas Morning News, writers Diane Jennings, Selwyn Crawford and Darlean Spangenberger revelaed that, contrary to its "tough on crime" reputation, Dallas is relatively lax when it comes to punishing youths who have been arrested for drinking and driving:

A Dallas Morning News analysis of Dallas' municipal court found that about 850 kids under age 17 were ticketed for those offenses between 2004 and 2009. Hundreds more go through justice of the peace and other municipal courts in the county. And some are never ticketed at all.

It is "completely contrary to our 'tough on DWI' " stance, says Clay Abbott, DWI resource prosecutor for the Texas District and County Attorneys Association.

The philosophy of juvenile justice is to give young offenders a second chance. But some experts say merely giving a young person a ticket with a few hours of community service and six hours of "alcohol awareness" lectures is a missed opportunity to stop the cycle of drinking and driving through treatment.

Some youthful offenders need more than a long lecture, they say. They need a substance abuse evaluation and, if they are deemed to have a problem, intensive treatment.

"We want to forgive and overlook youthful indiscretions," Abbott said. But studies show that young drinkers are more likely to reoffend. "By not punishing the kids earlier, it becomes more serious as an adult problem."

 

Labels: drinking_driving

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 1 Comment