TY - JOUR PY - 2019// TI - Risk perceptions of cannabis- vs. alcohol-impaired driving among Canadian young people JO - Drugs: education, prevention, and policy A1 - Goodman, Samantha Erin A1 - Leos-Toro, Cesar A1 - Hammond, David SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - Cannabis-impaired driving (CID) is associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents. A number of studies have reported on the prevalence of CID and/or riding in a vehicle with a cannabis-impaired driver (RCID), which appears to have increased in certain jurisdictions. However, there is little evidence on beliefs and perceptions of risk associated with CID vs. alcohol-impaired driving (AID). This study examined perceptions of CID and AID, prevalence of CID, and associations with cannabis use status. Respondents aged 16-30 years in Canada (n = 870) were recruited via a commercial panel and completed an online survey in October 2017. Perceptions of risk for CID were significantly lower than those for AID (p <.001). Cannabis use status predicted past CID, RCID, and low perceived risk of motor vehicle accidents (p ≤.01). CID behaviors were prevalent among young people in Canada: over 40% of respondents reported RCID, and 17% reported CID - including over a third of past-year cannabis users. Respondents also reported a lower willingness to intervene (p <.001) and reduced likelihood of legal consequences (p <.001) of CID compared to AID. These perceptions may be important barriers to reducing CID and should be prioritized in public education campaigns targeting both youth and young adults.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0968-7637 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2019.1611738 ID - ref1 ER -