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Driving under the influence of cannabis is more common and riskier than drink driving, according to new research from Otago University.
The latest paper from the long-running Health and Development study clearly showed that for young adults there was a greater risk of driving under the influence of cannabis than alcohol, and that the results were more harmful.
The Christchurch-based team, led by Professor David Fergusson, supported initiatives to introduce drug-driving regulations in New Zealand.
"We're quite surprised by these results, as we expected to find that drink-driving is more risky than driving under the influence of cannabis," Prof Fergusson said.
Their research questioned a group of 936 drivers aged 25 about how often they drove under the influence of cannabis or alcohol.
Those surveyed reported driving under the influence of cannabis on an average of nine occasions between the ages of 21 and 25. The average rate for drink driving was 3.62 times.
The research also found that while driving under the influence of cannabis there was an increased risk of minor car accidents, while the same was not true for drink driving.
"These results appear to be the consequence of two social trends that have acted in concert to reduce the risks of drink-driving, while increasing the risks of cannabis-driving," Prof Fergusson said.
While major efforts from publicity, legislation and law enforcement had reduced the rates of drink-driving, rates of cannabis use had increased dramatically among young adults, with little effort made to regulate driving under the influence of cannabis.
The "net effects" were that for the group of young people studied, cannabis posed a greater risk than drink driving, he said.
- NZPA
