University of Virginia Library

Report Claims Student Drug Use
Important Cause Of Car Accidents

By DEBBIE DENNO

Drug use by Virginia drivers on
highways has become increasingly
hazardous and is now considered as
serious as drunken driving and excessive
speed, according to a recent report by
the Virginia Highway Safety Division.

The survey, "Marijuana and Drug Use
and Highway Safety, a Survey of High
School Students in Virginia," was
conducted among high school students
throughout the state. The findings were
the result of a study of the relationship
of the student drug use to traffic
accidents. The study involved 12,453
students.

John T. Hanna, director of the safety
division, and F. John Kelly, executive
director of the Governor's Council on
Narcotics and Drug Abuse, held a press
conference last Monday during which the
survey was released.

He described the survey as being "the
most comprehensive of its kind in the
United States."

According to the conclusions reached,
12.3 per cent of the students questioned
had used marijuana, while 7.7 per cent
had used one or more of other illegal
drugs, including LSD, heroin
amphetamines, speed and barbiturates.

Since it was found that 85.9 per cent
of the high school students had not used
marijuana or drugs, the survey stated that
it was unable to confirm the widespread
belief of extensive drug use among
students.

"While there may be a drug problem,
the data suggests that it falls within
narrower limits than many have
supposed," according to the survey.

A significant finding, Mr. Hanna said,
was that among those who had tried
marijuana, the most common number of
uses was 10 or more times within the
past year. More than 8,100 students
statewide had used marijuana on 10 or
more occasions in the past year, he
related.

Additionally, the survey presented
the conclusion that Northern Virginia
had the "largest usage of marijuana and
drugs in both regional and metropolitan
survey breakdowns."

The regional breakdown
demonstrated that in Northern Virginia,
23.7 per cent of the students surveyed
had used marijuana, and 14.5 had used
one or more of the stronger drugs.

Ranking other areas in Virginia
according to drug use, it was found that
the Tidewater area was second, while
Central Virginia was third. The
Richmond metropolitan area ranked
sixth among the nine regions in the use
of marijuana, while ranking eighth in
overall drug use.

Because 82 per cent of the students
categorized as frequent marijuana users
had also taken other drugs, the survey
concluded that smoking marijuana was
associated significantly with further drug
use. Reciprocally, 42 per cent of the
students who were classified as drug users
were ranked as frequent users of
marijuana.

Among those students surveyed, the
usage of marijuana was more common
among the boys (16.5 per cent) than
among the girls (8.6 per cent) and also
more common among students in higher
grades. This ranking was found to be the
same for drug usage.

Significant to Mr. Hanna was the
finding that 16.7 per cent of the
marijuana and drug-related accidents in
this study were fatal, while only an
estimated two to three per cent of
alcohol-related highway crashes resulted
in fatalities.

Mr. Hann stated that, "it may be
assumed from the data that about 36 per
cent of fatal motor vehicle crashes
involving 16 to 19 year old drivers may
be linked to marijuana or drug usage.

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Photo By Lovelace Cook