Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:


After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.

UK: Cannabis increases car-crash risk

BBC Online

Saturday 30 Apr 2005

---
Heavy cannabis users are 10 times more likely to be injured, or to injure
others, in car accidents, researchers have found.

The scientists from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, say their
study is the first proof that there is a link between using cannabis and
accidents.

Previously, there was only laboratory research and post mortem evidence to
suggest a connection.

UK experts said the Addiction study showed more education was needed.

Doctors had believed there was a link between cannabis use and accidents
for some time, but had been unable to prove a connection.

'Target heavy users'

The New Zealand team surveyed 571 drivers of cars involved in crashes in
which at least one occupant was hospitalised or killed and a control group
of 588 drivers randomly selected from cars driving in Auckland.

They were asked if they had taken cannabis in the three hours prior to the
crash or survey and were also asked about their use of cannabis over the
previous 12 months.

It was found that habitual cannabis users were 9.5 times more likely to be
involved in crashes, with 5.6% of people who crashed having taken the drug
compared to 0.5% of the control group.

Their risk of an accident was increased whether or not they had used
cannabis immediately before the accident.

The researchers, led by Dr Stephanie Blows, said: "The prevalence of
self-reported recent cannabis use in the Auckland driving population was
less than 1%, and those who did use marijuana prior to driving were highly
likely to be habitual users.

"This suggests that interventions targeting high risk marijuana use groups
may be more cost-effective than random roadside testing."

Professor Robert West, editor of Addiction, said: "People have been saying
for some time that drugs increase your risk of an accident, but there was
no good evidence to show that.

"It shows public information campaigns would be a good idea."

Martin Barnes, chief executive of Drugscope, said: "Cannabis can impact on
your perception and your responses."

He added: "Obviously if you have been taking drugs you should really not be
driving."

 

 

 

After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back. 




This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.

Feel free to link to this page!