Driving Privileges Facilitate Impaired Driving in Those Youths Who Use Alcohol or Marijuana

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether possession of a driver's license increases the risk of impaired driving among adolescents who use alcohol or marijuana. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to secondary school students in northeast Ohio across multiple school districts. Logistic regression analyses revealed that after accounting for socio-demographic variables, legal driving privileges were independent risk factors for both alcohol- and marijuana-impaired driving, and more robust than substance use in distinguishing between impaired and non-impaired drivers. Prevention strategies must address conventional licensing policies in addition to social and contextual factors leading to adolescent alcohol and marijuana use and associated risks.

KEYWORDS:

• adolescent
• alcohol
• driver's license
• marijuana

Notes

Note: Model Chi-Square = 363.97, df = 17, p < .0001. Total N = 712 adolescents ages 16 and older who reported alcohol use in the previous 30 days. The following 11 variables also were in the analysis, but had odds ratios not significantly different from 1.0: sex, age, number of parents living at home, race, the number of hours at a job in the past week, boyfriend or girlfriend use of alcohol, age of onset of alcohol use, number of times used marijuana in the prior 30-day period, and participation in band, sports, and clubs. A listwise deletion of cases with missing values resulted in 156 cases being excluded from the analysis.

Note: Model Chi-Square = 144.88, df = 17, p < .0001. Total N = 363 adolescents age 16 years and older who reported marijuana use in the previous 30 days. The following 12 variables also were in the analysis, but had odds ratios not significantly different from 1.0: sex, number of parents living at home, average academic grade, number of hours at a job in the past week, number of close friends, boyfriend or girlfriend marijuana use, age of onset of marijuana use, and participation in band, theater, sports, student council, and clubs. A listwise deletion of cases with missing values resulted in 73 cases being excluded from the analysis.