As cannabis becomes a more accepted part of society, a new study finds its deadly impact on road safety. Researchers from the United States and Canada have found that the number of deaths from car accidents involving cannabis has risen sharply in recent years. The likelihood of these deaths involving both cannabis and alcohol is even greater.
Over a 19-year period, the study shows that the number of deaths from car accidents involving cannabis has more than doubled in the United States – from 2000 percent in 21,5 to 2018 percent in 4,8. The percentage of deaths involving both alcohol if marijuana was involved rose from 10,3 to XNUMX percent during that time.
The team from Boston Medical Center, Boston University and the University of Victoria added that victims of marijuana-related crashes had a 50 percent higher chance of having alcohol in their systems at the same time. While cannabis legalization advocates argue that allowing people to use the drug openly will reduce the use of other substances (such as alcohol), the opposite appears to be happening, researchers say.
“Progress has been made in reducing deaths from drink-driving, but our study suggests that the involvement of cannabis could undermine these public health efforts”, senior author Timothy Naimi, MD, MPH, an adjunct professor at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health and the director of the Canadian Institute of Substance Use Research, says in a press release.
Currently, estimates show that nearly 40 percent of all fatal accidents in America are related to alcohol. About 30 percent of fatal crashes involve drinking above the legal limit for drivers. The team found that cannabis use was also a risk factor in this combination with alcohol, even at levels within the legal limit.
Do marijuana tests accurately reflect these fatalities?
When it comes to drink-driving, researchers say that drivers who use marijuana are not only putting themselves at risk, but also their friends. The research shows that car accidents involving cannabis are more likely to result in the death of a passenger. These accidents also more often involved people under the age of 35 than in accidents without cannabis.
Despite the results, the study authors note that testing for marijuana intoxication is still an inaccurate science. This makes it difficult for officials to know how long ago drivers used cannabis before hitting the road and how much of a role it played in the fatal accident.
“Our cannabis testing methods do not remain optimal and individuals may test positive for cannabis weeks after consuming it,” said lead author Marlene Lira, MPH, an epidemiologist at Boston Medical Center. “However, we can say that fatalities from cannabis accidents have probably also consumed alcohol, even if we don't know the exact level of cannabis.”
“Basically, we have a lot of work to do to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by driving under the influence of alcohol, cannabis and other substances,” she added.
Sources ao AJPH (EN), Canex (EN), health (EN), StudyFinds (EN)
