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Stimulant Users Report High Rates of Driving Under the Influence
Almost half of US adults who have used methamphetamine within the past year and more than a one-fifth of past-year cocaine users have driven under the influence, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Findings, which were published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, were based on data from the 2016 to 2019 editions of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Methamphetamine and cocaine are the only 2 types of stimulants for which the NSDUH includes questions.
Among those who reported past-year methamphetamine use, 47.2% reported driving under the influence. For those who had used cocaine within the prior 12 months, the figure was 21.6%.
A key finding in the report was that among adults who reported cocaine or methamphetamine use, those who reported driving under the influence were 2 times more likely to experience a depressive episode or psychological distress.
“[T]his greater likelihood of depressive symptoms might relate to psychological distress as a potential driver of increased substance use, which in turn, places individuals at greater risk of [driving under the influence of stimulants],” Goings and colleagues wrote. “Alternatively, or as a complement, we know depression is not only a primary symptom of cocaine/methamphetamine withdrawal, but also increased risk for depression is a long-term consequence of stimulant use.”
The study went on to note that those who reported very frequent stimulant use “were substantially more likely to also report driving under the influence of stimulants,” a finding consistent with what has been observed for driving under the influence of cannabis and hallucinogens.
The researchers wrote that although less than 1% of the US adult population overall reported driving under the influence of stimulants, the behavior is “quite common” among stimulant users.
“Given the high levels of risk associated with [driving under the influence of stimulants], especially methamphetamine-influenced driving, this phenomenon is one that, although relatively rare, simply cannot be overlooked,” the researchers wrote.
The researchers added that among cocaine and methamphetamine users, individuals who reported driving under the influence of stimulants “were substantially more likely” to report driving under the influence while using other substances and also more likely to have been arrested on charges of DUI or for other reasons.
Given those findings, the researchers suggest that prevention and treatment approaches that are focused on multiple substances—rather than a single substance—as well as mental health needs may be the most appropriate response in addressing the challenge of driving under the influence of stimulants.
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