Mobility Gooses Teen Drug Use
A University of Missouri-Columbia study finds that high-school students were more likely to consume alcohol and smoke cigarettes and marijuana once they received their driver's license, NBC 4 in Washington, D.C., reported Aug. 30.
"The increase in substance use in all three categories after getting a license supports the notion that new drivers have more opportunities for use," said study author Denis McCarthy, an assistant psychology professor at the school.
The study, the first to examine changes in youth alcohol and other drug use as related to obtaining a driver's license, included 2,865 high-school students. The students were surveyed to measure their views on alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use; alcohol use by peers; and attitudes toward drinking and driving.
The study also found that students are aware of the dangers of using alcohol and other drugs in a vehicle. As a result, many indicated they would drive to another location to use, but not while in a vehicle.
"For drinking and driving, it may be that newly licensed drivers have a period of 'protection' or perceived vulnerability, but that their drinking and driving behaviors become riskier with more driving experience," McCarthy said. "Understanding what influences this effect may help drinking and driving intervention efforts."
The study may support laws that suspend the driver's licenses for underage youth who are caught drinking, whether they are driving or not.
The study is published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol.
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