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Positive beliefs about marijuana, resistance to marijuana increase DUI risk

Researchers from RAND Corp. reported that positive beliefs about marijuana at age 12 years increased the risk for driving under the influence and riding with a drinking driver 4 years later. The researchers also discovered that resistance to marijuana at age 12 increased the risk for DUI and riding with a drinking driver at age 16 years.

“Positive beliefs and ability to resist marijuana in early adolescence, not actual alcohol and marijuana use, had the strongest association with DUI and riding with a drinking driver about 4 years later,” Elizabeth J. D’Amico, PhD, at RAND Corp., and colleagues wrote. “This identifies a potential indicator, above and beyond simply early alcohol and marijuana use, for targeted interventions for those adolescents just starting middle school.”

In 2009, 2011 and 2013, the investigators conducted surveys of 1,189 students from 16 middle schools in Southern California who participated in a substance use prevention program.

D’Amico and colleagues found that students at age 12 with positive beliefs about marijuana (OR = 1.63; 95% CI, 1.2-2.2) or ability to resist marijuana (OR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.22-2.92) showed significantly higher risk for DUI and riding with a drinking driver 4 years later.

“Another recent study revealed that adolescents’ self-efficacy in their ability to stop using marijuana was associated with both greater consequences and greater willingness to use,” they wrote. “In this case, youth expressed that if they had to stop using marijuana that they had confidence in their ability to stop, although they were not necessarily willing to stop their use.”

In addition, Ewing and colleagues found that students aged 14 years with family marijuana use, alcohol use in the past month, positive beliefs about marijuana or exposure to peer alcohol and marijuana use showed significantly higher risk for DUI and riding with a drinking driver at age 16 years.

“As adolescents progress through middle school, the influence of those around them who use alcohol and marijuana becomes more important,” Ewing and colleagues wrote. “Findings from our two age cohorts provide evidence of the need for targeted interventions for youth as young as sixth grade to help prevent DUI and riding with drinking drivers later in high school.” – by Will Offit

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.