POTHEAD CRASHES ON RISE

Drivers Tested

Pot Is The Drug Most Frequently Involved In Car Accidents, A New Study
Shows.
~~~~~~
A study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health found there
has been a steady increase in the number of drivers involved in
accidents who test positive for cannabis.

From 1978 to '79, cannabis was detected in 3.7% of 401 Ontario drivers
killed in crashes. From1982 to 1984, the rate was 10.9% of 1,169
drivers killed.

Drug tests on 339 drivers admitted to a trauma unit in Toronto between
1986 and '89 detected pot in 13.9% of cases.

Study results from 1996-97 on Ontario drivers aged 18 or older found
about 138,000 of 7.2 million drivers had driven under the influence of
pot within the previous year.

Study co-author Robert Mann, a researcher at the Addiction Research
Foundation, said it's difficult to estimate how much pot it takes to
impair a driver's ability. He noted traces of pot can remain in the
body for long periods of time and be detected for days, or even weeks,
after use.

The study found those under age 25 are more likely to drive under the
influence of pot and men are almost four times more likely to do it
than women.

It found also about 9.3% of those aged 18-19 have driven while high,
compared to 5% of those 20-24. The proportion decreased with age for
those 25 years and older.

Single persons were more likely to drive under the influence than
those who were married or were previously married. More educated
persons were less likely to drive high.