The prevalence of drug driving and being caught for a drug driving offense among community-recruited people who use methamphetamine in metropolitan and rural Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Objective

To examine the prevalence, frequency and characteristics of drug driving and being caught for a drug driving offense and their key correlates among people who used methamphetamine in rural and metropolitan areas of Victoria, Australia.

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis of a sample of 744 people who used methamphetamine. Outcomes included self-reported drug driving (driving within three hours of consuming drugs, yes/no) and having been caught for a drug driving offense (yes/no). Sociodemographic (including rurality) and drug use variables were included in multivariable analyses.

Results

Of the 511 participants who reported driving in the six months prior to the survey, 407 (80%) reported drug driving (driving within three hours of taking an illicit drug). Most drug drivers (92.6%) reported taking methamphetamine (in combination with other drugs (59.5%) or in isolation (33.2%)) before driving. Most reported drug driving daily (31%) or weekly (25%), with passengers often (31%) or sometimes (28%). Most reported believing their driving was not at all impaired (49%), or only slightly impaired (32%) when preceded by drug taking. Multivariable analysis revealed that drug driving was not associated with rurality, nor with other socio-demographic characteristics. However, participants residing outside metropolitan areas were more likely to report having been caught previously for a drug driving offense (Adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.18–3.16).

Conclusions

The majority of people within this cohort of people who used methamphetamine reported drug driving. An enhanced focus on public health campaigns and strategies to prevent drug driving is needed.

Keywords:

• Driving
• methamphetamine
• rural
• driving under the influence

Competing interests

PD & MS have received an untied educational grant from Gilead sciences for work related to hepatitis C. PD has received an untied educational grant from Indivior. P.D. has served as an unpaid member of an Advisory Board for Mundipharma. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, [PD]. The data are not publicly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Additional information

Funding

The VMAX study was established with a grant from the Colonial Foundation and is now funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, 1148170). PD and MS supported by an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowships.