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Self-reported driving behaviour and attitudes towards driving under the influence of cannabis among three different user groups in England.

Terry P, Wright KA

School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. p.terry@bham.ac.uk

The study characterized self-reported driving behaviour, attitudes towards driving and assumptions about the effects of cannabis on driving, among two different volunteer groups: 63 regular cannabis users (RCUs; cannabis use>monthly) and 46 undergraduate student users, all from the West Midlands. More detailed information was provided by structured interviews with an additional sample of 23 regular users from southern England. Within each group, many respondents had driven whilst under the influence of cannabis (regular users, 82%; students, 40%; interviewees, 100%). Majorities among the regular users and interviewees continued to do so at least monthly. Most users believed that cannabis impaired driving only slightly. More stops by the police for drug-driving than for drink-driving were reported, but these rarely resulted in conviction and were not deterrent. Hence, cannabis users are very willing to drive after using the drug (often combined with alcohol), and even while intoxicated. They consider its effects on driving to be minimal; indeed, many consider it to promote better driving. Attitudes towards drink-driving were much more negative. Finally, most interviewees said that roadside drug testing would be the only efficacious deterrent to drug-driving.

Published 18 February 2005 in Addict Behav, 30(3): 619-26.
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