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Driving under the influence is a major threat to road safety in South Africa. Various psychoactive substances (both licit and illicit) have the potential to adversely affect driving performance and increase the probability of a road traffic accident. While it is common practice in South Africa to test drivers for alcohol levels, testing for additional impairing substances (including drugs of abuse) is rarely performed. In terms of current South African legislation, only driving under the influence of alcohol and a ‘drug having a “narcotic” effect’ is prohibited. This excludes several impairing psychoactive drugs which are not classified as narcotic substances. The aim of this article is to highlight issues and/or limitations surrounding drugged driving and to propose appropriate considerations for revision of the National Road Traffic Act. We also recommend revising existing legislation to include a comprehensive statutory definition and detailed provisions for drug testing to deter impaired driving.

The health crisis that began in early 2020 has generated a large amount of interest in the effect of COVID-19 on public health. The majority of this work has centered around trying to better unders...

This study identifid the most prominent risk factors associated with driving after cannabis use (DACU). 1,126 Canadian drivers (17–35 years old) who have used cannabis in the past 12 months completed an online questionnaire about sociodemographic information, substance use habits, cannabis effect expectancies, driving behaviours and peers’ behaviours and attitudes concerning DACU. A hierarchical logistic regression allowed identifying variables that were associated with DACU. Income (CA$30,000–CA$69,000), weekly-to-daily cannabis use, higher level of cannabis-related problems, expectation that cannabis facilitates social interactions, drunk driving, belief that DACU is safe, general risky driving behaviours, having a few friends who had DACU and injunctive norms predicted past 12-month DACU. Older age, holding negative expectations concerning cannabis, driving aggressively and perceived accessibility of public transportation decreased the probability of DACU. With restricted resources, programmes will be more efficient by targeting Canadian young adults most inclined to DACU by focussing on these risk factors.

Background Preventing youth from driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) remains a road safety priority. This study aimed to understand beliefs of young Ontarian drivers (ages 18–24) towards cannabis use and DUIC. Methods Using a mixed methods design, we conducted an online survey (n = 426, 53% female) and two focus groups (n = 12, 67% female). The survey obtained data in the following sections: demographics, experiences and expectancies related to cannabis use and DUIC, knowledge and credibility of the law, attitudes towards DUIC, and social controls. Quantitative data was analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics and chi squares. Two focus groups were then conducted to contextualize quantitative findings. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results 83.6% (356) of survey’s participants had used cannabis, with 69% (296) in the past year. Among past-year users, 47.9% (142; 33.3% of the sample) reported DUIC. Those who indicated prior history of DUIC were mostly males, had completed less than a bachelor’s degree, and were students without employment. Qualitative themes included: Being high changes you; it is hard to tell if a driver is high; DUIC is convenient, socially acceptable, and safe; legalization makes cannabis more attractive to use; and there is a need for testing, education, and prevention efforts that are relevant to youth. Conclusions A considerable number of young drivers in Ontario are currently DUIC, many of which underestimate the associated risks. Our findings provide insight into youth’s beliefs towards DUIC and considerations for preventative efforts.

Synthetic cathinones (SCs) are currently the second largest and the second most frequently seized group of new psychoactive substances. They are sold as replacements for controlled stimulants such as amphetamine, cocaine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Administration of low doses of SCs can cause euphoria and increased alertness, and administration of high doses or chronic use of cathinones can cause serious adverse effects such as hallucinations, delirium, hyperthermia and tachycardia. In the years 2013–2019 in our practice, as many as 16 different SCs were detected in biological materials. This article lists the observed concentrations in 39 fatal and 18 non-fatal cases, in which a single SC as well as an SC in combination with amphetamine or ethyl alcohol were detected and quantified in biological materials. The quantitative analyses were carried out by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The analyzed cases of taking SCs were associated with intoxication (2 cases), fatal intoxication (36), driving under the influence of drugs (10) and other circumstances (9) such as violence, insulting an officer and holding a hostage. Taking SCs has serious side effects that can lead to multiple organ failure and death. Screening for the presence of SCs in biological materials should be part of the routine course of treatment in intoxication cases, both at the stage of clinical diagnosis and at the stage of forensic toxicological analysis. Ethyl alcohol and amphetamine may contribute to increased SC toxicity. These data could be valuable for further interpretation of other results from toxicological analyses.

Ten cases of suspected driving under the influence of flualprazolam are presented. Data from police reports and drug recognition examinations, when available, were evaluated. In all cases, significant driving impairments were observed, including weaving, driving slowly, stopping in the roadway or collisions. Objective signs of impairment in all cases were generally consistent with those expected from central nervous system depressants. Both the mean and median blood flualprazolam concentrations were

A sportrendezvények biztonsága olyan társadalmi jelenség, amelyre – a nagyfokú nyilvánosság miatt – társadalmi és politikai figyelem egyaránt irányul. A magyarországi sportrendezvények biztonsága elsősorban rendészeti jellegű kérdés, ezért elsősorban rendészeti jellegű megoldásokat kíván. Azonban a jogi védelem záróköve a büntetőjog. Egyrészt ez biztosítja a hatósági fellépések jogalapját, másfelől ultima ratióként szolgálja a sportrendezvények biztonságát. Az írás középpontjában a hazai jogalkotás folyamata és annak hátterében húzódó indokok állnak. A vizsgálatok középpontjában a sportrendezvények biztonságát jogtárgyként védő tényállások és a speciálisan sportrendezvényekre irányuló prevenciós hatást célzó szankciók állnak. A büntetőjogi védelmet kiterjesztve nem lehet megkerülni a szabálysértési jogi kérdéseket sem, hiszen azonos jogtárgy védelmére irányulnak. A jogfejlődés eredményeként a sportrendezvényeket veszélyeztető vagy sértő – eddigi ismereteinek szerint – valamennyi emberi magatartás szankcionálhatóvá vált. A hazai jogalkotó annak tulajdonít jelentőséget, hogy valamely cselekmény mennyire befolyásolja a sportrendezvény élvezeti értékét a békés nézők számára. A kívánt társadalmi eredmények elérése a jogi felhatalmazás birtokában csupán a rendezvények szervezői és a hatóságok belátásán, azaz a jogalkalmazás hatékonyságán nyugszik. Ehhez kapcsolódik a szervezők különleges jogosultsága a kizárás alkalmazására. A szervező, mint magánjogi jogalany olyan intézkedés alkalmazására jogosult, amely hatását tekintve teljesen megegyezik a büntetőjogi, illetve szabálysértési jogi szankciókkal. Ezzel tehát az állam lényegében a stadionok területén, a sport biztonságát veszélyeztető cselekmények esetében privatizálta a büntetőhatalmi igényét.

Many jurisdictions use point-of-collection (POC) oral fluid testing devices to identify driving under the influence of cannabis, indexed by the presence of Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an intoxicating cannabinoid, in oral fluid. While use of the non-intoxicating cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), is not prohibited among drivers, it is unclear whether these devices can reliably distinguish between CBD and THC, which have similar chemical structures. This study determined whether orally administered CBD produces false-positive tests for THC on standard, POC oral fluid testing devices. In a randomised, double-blind, crossover design, healthy participants (n=17) completed four treatment sessions involving the administration of either placebo, or 15, 300, or 1500mg pure CBD in a high fat dietary supplement. Oral fluid was sampled, and the DrugWipe®-5S (DW-5S; 10ng·mL-1 THC cut-off) and Drug Test® 5000 (DT5000; 10ng·mL-1 THC cut-off) devices administered, at Baseline (pre-treatment) and ~20-, ~145- and ~185-minutes post-treatment. Oral fluid cannabinoid concentrations were measured using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Median (IQR) oral fluid CBD concentrations were highest at ~20-minutes, quantified as 0.4 (6.0), 15.8 (41.6) and 167 (233) ng·mL-1 on the 15, 300 and 1500mg CBD treatments, respectively. THC, cannabinol and cannabigerol were not detected in any samples. 259 DW-5S and 256 DT5000 tests were successfully completed, and no THC-positive tests were observed. Orally administered CBD does not appear to produce false-positive (or true-positive) tests for THC on the DW-5S and DT5000. The likelihood of an individual who is using a CBD (only) oral formulation being falsely accused of DUIC therefore appears low.

Introduction: Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol is one of the substantial predisposing factors for mishaps among road users. A traffic police officer will be the first authoritative personnel a drunk driver encounters in the legal system. The absence of accurate skills and knowledge of these officers impedes the structuring of legal procedures and may lead to miscarriage of justice. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of Sri Lankan traffic police in handling and managing an alleged case of driving under influence of alcohol. Methods: This was a descriptive cross sectional study carried on a sample of 384 traffic police officers attached to the districts of Colombo and Gampaha, through a questionnaire. Results: Out of 384, only 75 of police officers knew the correct preliminaries to perform before administering a breathalyzer test. 79.7% knew the correct instructions for using a breathalyzer, but only 3.4% knew the colour changes of the breathalyzer. Significantly poor attitude was observed among the police officers, regarding the importance of producing a drunk driver for medico-legal examination ( P = 0.001) Only 222 (57.8%) answered correctly that a drunk driver needs to be subjected to a medico-legal examination as early as possible. Significantly poor practice and attitude was observed in officers with longer service duration but no significant association was observed between ranks of officers and attitude and practice ( P = 0.199). Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrate that the knowledge attitude and practice on efficiently handling a case of DUI among traffic police officers is poor, even though all of them are engaged in DUI duties irrespective of their service duration. The need for continuous professional development programmes was highlighted.

Washington state has observed increases in polydrug use in fatal crashes, primarily involving the combination of cannabis and alcohol. The purpose of this article is to explore the belief system associated with driving under the influence of cannabis and alcohol (DUICA) in Washington state using structural equation modeling (SEM). A convenience sample ( n = 737) of surveys collected from adults in Washington state was analyzed using SEM to reveal the latent structure of the belief system associated with DUICA. The results of this analysis indicated that the reported DUICA behavior (frequency) was predicted by intention and willingness. Willingness also predicted intention. Intention and willingness were predicted by positive attitudes toward DUICA, as well as normative perceptions that it was acceptable to important people and common behavior for most people. These components were themselves predicted by corresponding beliefs (behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs). Finally, these beliefs were also influenced by the values that were most important to the respondents. Based on these results, it is reasonable to speculate that strategies to change these beliefs may also reduce DUICA behavior and associated fatal crashes.

With a sample of college students in emerging adulthood (age range: 18–25), the current study investigated sex differences in the impact of parental psychological control and perceived social capital on three types of health-risk behaviors, including binge drinking, drug use, and driving under the influence (i.e., DUI). The moderation of social capital on the relations between parental psychological control and health-risk behaviors was also studied. The findings suggested that more paternal psychological control and less social capital were positively associated with binge drinking and drug use in men and all three types of risky behavior in women. However, maternal psychological control only predicted more binge drinking and drug use for women. Perceived social capital exacerbated the negative influence of paternal psychological control on males’ drinking behaviors, whereas it buffered the effect of paternal psychological control on females’ DUI behavior. Parenting programs need to focus on sex-specific parenting skills that can encourage children to develop internalized values and internalize positive social rules, attitudes, and behaviors. Prevention or intervention programs may consider enhancing the involvement of fathers in parenting and develop practices sensitive to paternal roles. Parents may consider capitalizing on community resources to facilitate female children’s socialization.

Background: Hundreds of people die every day as a result of traffic collisions all over the country. The majority of these collisions are caused by cars or pedestrians breaking traffic laws, such as speeding or talking on their phones. Most drivers drive their cars while feeling sleepy or tired, or driving under the influence of medication that causes drowsiness, or lack of concentration, or hallucinations. The latest statistics from Ministry of health of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia indicate that the death rate in road accidents in Saudi Arabia is 17 people every 40 minutes. Therefore, based on this statistic, traffic accidents have become a source of concern for the Saudi Arabian society. They cause great losses in human and material resources, in addition to psychological and social problems. It is necessary to conduct a field study to find out the actual cause of the spread of accidents in Saudi Arabia. Objective: This study sets out to examine the actual reasons that led to the frequent traffic accidents in the Saudi Arabian society. Methods: An online survey provided quantitative data from 1000 participants. Factual importance was investigated utilizing edge plan examination and the relapse investigation utilizing the SPSS program to decide the real makes that drove the spread of auto collisions in the Saudi Arabian culture. Results: The findings indicated that driving vehicles by unqualified persons, drug abuse and grain deprivation are the factors that led to the spread of traffic accidents in the Saudi Arabian society. Conclusion: it is recommended that Saudi Arabian government professionals develop an operational plan to study these causes to take action. In the future, data may be analyzed using supersaturated prototypes, in which a large number of variables are studied for just a few simulation trials.

Driving under the influence of drug (DUID) cases continue to challenge forensic toxicologists as both the volume and complexity of casework increases. Comprehensive DUID testing should also meet the drafted Academy Standards Board (ASB)/ American National Standard Institute (ANSI) standard and the National Safety Council’s Alcohol, Drugs and Impairment Division (NSC-ADID) recommendations. A simple method using protein precipitation followed by filtration extraction with an 8 minute run time by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS-MS) was developed, and a comprehensive ASB/ANSI validation was performed. Target drugs and metabolites were quantitatively assessed in blood and qualitatively assessed in urine. Included were 127 target analytes including cannabinoids (12), amphetamines (11), cocaine and metabolites (6), benzodiazepines (36), Z-drugs (5), opioids (27), anticonvulsants (3), first-generation antihistamines (6), muscle relaxants (2), dissociatives and hallucinogens (6), barbiturates (10), and miscellaneous substances (3). Limits of detection are appropriate for DUID and other forensic casework such as drug-facilitated crime (DFC) and postmortem investigations. To demonstrate applicability, 78 proficiency test blood and urine samples and 1,645 blood and urine samples from authentic cases samples demonstrated effective detection of target analytes in forensic casework. By increasing the analytical scope of multiple drug classes via a single method, this technique detects drugs that may have previously gone undetected, such as flualprazolam, etizolam, mitragynine, gamma-hydroxybutyric acid and psilocin and improves laboratory efficiency by reducing the number of tests required. The described method is, to the authors’ best knowledge, the only published single procedure to meet all drugs listed in the drafted ASB/ANSI standard and recommended Tier 1 and traditional drugs from Tier 2 for DUID screening, while also achieving many drug scope and sensitivity recommendations for DFC and postmortem testing.

BackgroundPrescription drug use has soared in the USA within the last two decades. Prescription drugs can impair motor skills essential for the safe operation of a motor vehicle, and therefore can affect traffic safety. As one of the epicentres of the opioid epidemic, Florida has been struck by high opioid misuse and overdose rates, and has concurrently suffered major threats to traffic disruptions safety caused by driving under the influence of drugs. To prevent prescription opioid misuse in Florida, Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) were implemented in September 2011.ObjectiveTo examine the impact of Florida’s implementation of a mandatory PDMP on drug-related MVCs occurring on public roads.MethodsWe employed a difference-in-differences approach to estimate the difference in prescription drug-related fatal crashes in Florida associated with its 2011 PDMP implementation relative to those in Georgia, which did not use PDMPs during the same period (2009–2013). The analyses were conducted in 2020.ResultsIn Florida, there was a significant decline in drug-related vehicle crashes during the 22 months post-PDMP. PDMP implementation was associated with approximately two (−2.21; 95% CI −4.04 to –0.37; pConclusionsThe implementation of PDMPs in Florida provided important benefits for traffic safety, reducing the rates of prescription opioid-related vehicle crashes.

This report describes updates to the National Safety Council’s Alcohol, Drugs and Impairment Division’s recommendations for drug testing in driving under the influence of drug (DUID) cases and motor vehicle fatalities. The updates are based on a survey of drug testing practices in laboratories in the USA and Canada, a comprehensive review of the prior recommendations and data and research on drugs most frequently detected in DUID cases. A consensus meeting was held with representative forensic science practitioners and the authors of this report to update recommendations. No changes were made to the Tier I scope; however, there were changes to cutoffs of some analytes for blood, urine and oral fluid. Due to increased prevalence in DUID cases, trazodone and difluoroethane were added to the Tier II scope. For clarification, Tier I cutoffs reflect free concentrations, and hydrolysis is recommended but not required. The consensus panel concluded that urine is an inferior matrix to blood and oral fluid as it may represent historical use or exposure unrelated to observed impairment; therefore, future iterations of these recommendations will not include urine as a recommended matrix. Laboratories currently testing urine should work with traffic safety partners to encourage the use of blood and oral fluid as more appropriate specimens and adjust their capabilities to provide that testing.

Introduction As cannabis use rises among adults in the U.S., driving under the influence of cannabis represents a public health concern. Methods In 2020, public-use data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were examined, using an analytic sample of 128,205 adults interviewed between 2016 and 2018. The annual prevalence of driving under the influence of cannabis was computed overall, by state, by demographic group, and among cannabis users. Demographic, psychosocial, and behavioral correlates of driving under the influence were tested by multivariate logistic regression. Results The self-reported annual prevalence of driving under the influence of cannabis was 4.5% (95% CI=4.3, 4.6) among U.S. adults, ranging from 3.0% (Texas) to 8.4% (Oregon) in individual U.S. states. Among cannabis users, 29.5% (95% CI=28.6, 30.3) reported driving under the influence of cannabis; the predicted probabilities of driving under the influence of cannabis were highest for those with more frequent use, with daily cannabis users evidencing a 57% predicted probability. Among individuals with symptoms suggestive of a cannabis use disorder, the prevalence of driving under the influence of cannabis was 63.8% (95% CI=60.8, 66.6). Among cannabis users, those reporting driving under the influence of cannabis had higher odds of driving under the influence of other illicit substances, using other illicit drugs, taking part in illegal behavior, and suffering from mental distress, after adjusting for demographic characteristics and psychosocial/behavioral correlates. Conclusions Findings suggest that prevention efforts should focus on frequent and problem cannabis users and should include content related to other illicit drug use and other drug-impaired driving.

Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and fatigue are all important factors of crash causation. Exploring the link between driver attitudes and crash involvement provides understanding on these important issues. To that end, questionnaire answers of car drivers disclosing their attitudes on the impacts of driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and fatigue, and their relationship with past crash involvement as car drivers were analysed. A two-step approach is adopted: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to consolidate relative questions in numeric factor quantities. Afterwards, binary logistic regression was implemented on the calculated component scores to determine the impact of perspectives of road users for each factor on past crash involvement of car drivers. Data from the international ESRA2015 survey were utilized. PCA indicated that it is possible to meaningfully merge 29 ESRA2015 questions relevant to driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and fatigue into 8 informative components accounting for an adequate percentage of variance. Binary logistic analysis indicated that components involving overall personal and communal acceptance of impaired driving, overall and past year personal behaviour towards impaired driving and frequency of typical journey checks by traffic police were all quantities positively correlated with past crash involvement.

A case of driving under the influence of drugs with an extremely high blood fentanyl concentration and concomitant use of methamphetamine is presented. As the increase of the appearance of fentanyl in drug seizures continues, the likelihood of tolerant users increases as well. Data presented on fentanyl in antemortem cases over time from several regions of North America show geographic differences on whether fentanyl concentrations are increasing. This case is an example of a blood concentration that could have been assumed to be fatal if presented on its own, a reminder that concentrations, especially those of opioids, must be interpreted with care.

The motorcycle is the most used vehicle of transportation in developing countries. Driving a motorcycle has a very high risk of having an accident. One of the main causes of the accident is human behavior that violates the driving regulations. The interactions in the public space are close to nonverbal communication. Very little is understood about the rationale of driving behavior of motorcycle users, especially on the non-compliance behavior. The research objectives are to know what forms of non-compliance behaviors the motorcyclist has committed and to know how motorcyclists interpret non-compliance with motorbike riding. This is a phenomenological study, by observation, interviews, and secondary data collection. The total informants are 16 people between 12-60 years. The results show that the types of violations that riders have committed almost similar to the previous researches. The difference is about the driving against the traffic flow/incoming traffic that mentioned in almost all informants' statements and none of the informants studied stated that they were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Motorcyclists interpret a motorbike as running water. The main finding of this research shows that Residential area syndrome that refers to the concept of proxemics is the reason for non-compliance behavior due to lack of knowledge and lack of supervision. A better understanding of the proxemics can create a better approach for communication to increase the compliance behavior in motorcycling to reduce the traffic accidents caused by human error.

In the United States, policies regarding the medical and nonmedical use of cannabis are changing rapidly. In 2021, a total of 34 US states have legalized cannabis for adult medical use, and 15 of these states have legalized adult non-medical use. These changing policies have raised questions about increasing prevalences of cannabis use, changing perceptions regarding frequent use, and potentially related outcomes such as comorbid psychiatric illness or driving under the influence of cannabis. Research regarding the correlates of any and frequent cannabis use is also developing quickly. This article reviews recent empirical studies concerning (1) adult trends in cannabis use, (2) state cannabis laws and related outcomes, and (3) emerging evidence regarding how the global coronavirus 19 pandemic may impact cannabis use patterns. We summarize recent findings and conclude with suggestions to address unanticipated effects of rapidly changing cannabis laws and policies.

Alcohol has been identified as one of the major causes of traffic accident as those driving under the influence of alcohol barely comply with road safety rules and regulations. This study investigated the influence of alcohol use on compliance with road safety rules among commercial motorcyclists in Southwest Nigeria. Cross sectional descriptive research of the survey type was used to conduct the study. The sample size comprised 660 registered commercial motorcyclists selected through multi stage sampling techniques. A self-developed and validated questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. The reliability of the instrument was determined through Cronbach’s alpha with a reliability coefficient of 0.82. The data analysis was done using SPSS software version 19.0. The research questions were answered using descriptive analysis and correlation matrix was used to determine the association between alcohol use and factors influencing alcohol use at 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that majority of the motorcyclists 236 (39.4%) were regular users of alcohol and a significant negative correlation (r = -0.174, p

INTRODUCTION Literature notes the efficacious use of alcohol ignition interlock devices (IID) in reducing rates of drinking and driving while installed on the vehicle. Some drivers who are convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) elect to have their license suspended/revoked instead of installing the device. These individuals represent a high-risk subsample of drivers, yet limited literature has addressed this concern. The current study seeks to fill this gap using qualitative interviews addressing: (i) why do non-installers make the choice to not install a mandated IID; and (ii) how are non-installers managing without the IID? METHODS The study utilises the Managing Heavy Drinkers study of drivers in Erie County, New York, USA. Participants were purposively sampled from a group of non-installers (n = 6; four females, two males) who completed semi-structured interviews. Constructed grounded theory was used to develop a theoretical understanding of participant's experiences. RESULTS To understand why participants elect not to install the IID, thematic analysis revealed: alleviating constraints, predominantly the financial burdens associated with an IID, and institutional mistrust. Additionally, data revealed that participants are managing without the IID by mitigating apprehension. This included driving cautiously to avoid detection and utilising alternative transportation. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This study furthers understanding of why drivers convicted of a DWI elect not to install an IID. Future research should seek to identify barriers to IID installation. This work provides evidence for establishing institutional protocols that ensure drivers convicted of a DWI receive consistent and correct information about the IID process.

Over the last 25 years, marijuana laws have been changing throughout the USA. California started legalizing medicinal marijuana in 1996 and has since continued to relax laws. Compared to Washington and Colorado, there are little data on how the changing laws have affected the cannabinoid detection rate in California. This paper looks at the prevalence of five cannabinoids (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 11-hydroxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (hydroxy-THC), 11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (carboxy-THC), cannabinol and cannabidiol) in Orange County, CA, from 2016 to 2019. From 2016 to 2017, after legalizing recreational marijuana, there was an increase in the presence of THC, carboxy-THC and hydroxy-THC in postmortem and major crime cases, consisting mostly of sexual assaults. However, driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) saw a slight decrease. In 2018, when shops could be licensed to sell marijuana to anyone over 21 years old, there was an increase seen in all five cannabinoids for DUID and postmortem cases. The age group from 21 to 30 years showed the most prevalent cannabinoid use in all case types for all years except in major crime cases in 2019, where 50-year-old group in death investigation cases was a close second in prevalence in all years, which differs from DUID and major crime cases.

Background Half of the offenders convicted of impaired driving in the United States are sentenced to install alcohol ignition interlock devices (IIDs), which prevent them from starting their vehicles if they have been drinking. No research has yet explored offenders' patterns of alcohol consumption and driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) from the time before the arrest to the time period after the IID is installed. This study aims to fill that gap in knowledge. Methods Using the Timeline Follow-back interview procedure, we assessed the daily drinking of 153 convicted DUI offenders' self-reported total alcohol consumption and rates of self-reported driving after drinking over 4 phases: before DUI arrest, between arrest and IID installation, during the phase on the interlock, and after the interlock is removed. Because information about behaviors in each period was not available for every participant, comparisons were made using paired-sample contrasts. Results Compared with before the arrest, total alcohol use decreased by 50% in the 4-month phase following arrest and before IID installation, though it did not change much afterward. The frequency of drinking and driving decreased sharply after the arrest (-82%), with further decrease upon installation of the interlock (-58%, p = 0.05). The frequency of drinking and driving after the IID was removed returned to preinstallation drinking and driving status (+58%, p = 0.01). Conclusions Participants made significant adjustments to their drinking behavior by adhering to the traditional DUI driving restrictions in the postarrest phase. Although installation of an IID was not associated with a significant change in drinking, it further reduced the frequency of drinking and driving. Evaluations of the IID experience should take into account information on an individual's drinking and DUI behaviors not only before the IID was installed, but before the individual was arrested.

ObjectivesTo determine if an association exists between the number of driving under the influence (DUI) convictions required to activate federal firearms prohibitions and annual firearm homicide and suicide rates by state.MethodsEcological cross-sectional study of all US states from 2013 to 2017. We collected DUI law data from Thomson Reuters Westlaw database and firearm mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Statistics programme.ResultsFive states had laws such that one or two DUI convictions could result in prohibitions to firearms access according to federal law. Four states had no legal framework that would restrict firearms access because of DUI convictions; the remaining states could activate federal restrictions at three or more DUI convictions. Firearm-specific homicide (victimisations) rates were 19% lower among women in states where federal restrictions of firearms access occurred after one or two DUI offences (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.81; 95% CI 0.64 to 1.01) and 18% lower in states with firearm prohibitions after three or more offences (IRR 0.82; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.95) compared with the states with no legal framework for prohibiting firearms after DUI convictions. There was no association between number of DUI activations and overall, or firearm-specific, suicide among the entire population (men and women) or among only women, or only men.ConclusionsDUI penalties that activate federal firearms prohibitions may be one pathway to reduce firearm homicide of female victims.

Understanding risk factors for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUIA) informs development of effective interventions. This study examined the association between ethnicity, immigration status, and DUIA, exploring psychological distress and hazardous drinking as additional contributors.Data were derived from the 2003-2011 cycles of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Monitor of 16,101 adults from Ontario, Canada. Hierarchical binary logistic regression analysis assessed self-identified ethnicity and immigration status as predictors of DUIA, adjusting for sociodemographics and driving exposure (Model 1), psychological distress (Model 2), and hazardous drinking (Model 3).In Model 1, respondents born outside of Canada had reduced odds of engaging in DUIA compared to those born in Canada (AOR = 0.72, 95%CI = 0.56 - 0.92). Relative to those identifying as Canadian, the odds of DUIA were significantly reduced for those identifying as East Asian (AOR = 0.28, 95%CI = 0.13 - 0.61) and South Asian (AOR = 0.52, 95%CI = 0.27 - 0.98). In Model 3, individuals who reported psychological distress (AOR = 1.69, 95%CI = 1.33 - 2.16) and those who reported hazardous drinking (AOR = 6.28, 95%CI= 5.13 - 7.69) were more likely to DUIA. Those identifying as East Asian continued to have reduced odds of DUIA compared to those identifying as Canadian (AOR = 0.38, 95%CI = 0.17 - 0.85).Individuals born outside of Canada were less likely to engage in DUIA than individuals born in Canada. Drivers who self-identified as East Asian were less likely to DUIA than those who self-identified as Canadian. Understanding ethnic differences underlying divergent risks for DUIA will improve prevention initiatives and remedial measures programming.

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of social media on adolescents’ social behavior, personal conduct, interactions, education, communication, attitudes, skills and abilities. In addition, the study seeks to determine the barriers to social media use by adolescents. Design/methodology/approach A convenience sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 300 adolescents from three educational zones in Sri Lanka. A questionnaire survey method was applied to collect raw data and descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the analysis. Findings Among the given different social media, YouTube was the most preferred social media for adolescents. Although the majority of adolescents used mobile phones to access social media, they were not high social media users. The impact of social media on adolescents’ education and communication was significantly positive although their intellectual involvement with social media communities was rather low. The use of social media had not decreased the time devoted to studies or seriously complicated adolescents’ social life or encouraged them toward violence and conflict. There was no indication that social media had led to them experiencing mental confusion, health problems, disorderly conduct, social imbalance or suicide. Originality/value This study helps to reduce the literature gap of pertinent literature because there is little research information available on social media use in Sri Lanka. Almost all studies based in Sri Lanka in relation to social media have been poorly designed or published in predatory journals. The findings of the present study should be a timely and important resource for policymakers in education, teachers in both government and private schools and many stakeholders not only in Sri Lanka but also in other similar nations.

This study examines the prevalence and extent of Alcohol abuse among commercial tricycle operators in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Adopting a descriptive quantitative research method, data was collected from 385 participants from 6424 registered tricycle operators in Calabar using a questionnaire. The participants were selected using the convenience and random sampling technique. Data collected from the field were subjected to descriptive statistics. Out of the 385 distributed instruments, 383 were returned and used for data analysis. From the analyzed data, the result revealed that all the participants, 100.00 per cent, have taken alcohol before. 81.46 per cent taken alcohol before while working, Majority of the tricycle drivers, 38.90 per cent believes that alcohol makes them have clearer vision when driving, 31.59 per cent argued that it makes them work longer, 10.97 per cent maintain that it is because they are used to alcohol. 12.27 per cent of the participants take alcohol at every opportunity they get, 18.02 per cent reported drinking every day. Result also revealed that all the tricycle riders have had accidents before, 77.81 per cent were under the influence of Alcohol when the accidents happened. Based on this result, the study concludes that there was a high prevalence of alcohol abuse among tricycle riders in Calabar. Hence there is a need for the enactment of proper laws that determines the legal limit of alcohol among drivers to checkmate the issue of driving under the influence and its attendant consequences.

Objectives. To determine differences among US states in how driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) laws activate federal firearm possession and purchase prohibitions. Methods. We performed primary legislative research to characterize DUI laws in each state. The primary outcome was the number of DUI convictions an individual must be convicted of in each state to activate the federal firearm possession and purchase prohibition. We also determined the time interval in which previous DUI convictions count for future proceedings. Results. Forty-seven states had DUI laws that activated the federal prohibition of firearm possession and purchase for a threshold number of repeated DUIs. Variation exists among states in the number of convictions (1–4) and length of liability period (5 years–lifetime) required to prohibit firearm possession and purchase. Conclusions. Variation in state laws on DUI results in differences in determining who is federally prohibited from possessing and purchasing firearms. Future research should explore whether these federal prohibitions arising from DUI convictions are enforced and whether an association exists between stricter DUI policies and reduction in firearm crimes, injuries, and deaths.

Introduction: Fatal crashes that include at least one fatality of an occupant within 30 days of the crash cause large numbers of injured persons and property losses, especially when a truck is involved. Method: To better understand the underlying effects of truck-driver-related characteristics in fatal crashes, a five-year (from 2012 to 2016) dataset from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) was used for analysis. Based on demographic attributes, driving violation behavior, crash histories, and conviction records of truck drivers, a latent class clustering analysis was applied to classify truck drivers into three groups, namely, ‘‘middle-aged and elderly drivers with low risk of driving violations and high historical crash records,” ‘‘drivers with high risk of driving violations and high historical crash records,” and ‘‘middle-aged drivers with no driving violations and conviction records.” Next, equivalent fatalities were used to scale fatal crash severities into three levels. Subsequently, a partial proportional odds (PPO) model for each driver group was developed to identify the risk factors associated with the crash severity. Results' Conclusions: The model estimation results showed that the risk factors, as well as their impacts on different driver groups, were different. Adverse weather conditions, rural areas, curved alignments, tractor-trailer units, heavier weights and various collision manners were significantly associated with the crash severities in all driver groups, whereas driving violation behaviors such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fatigue, or carelessness were significantly associated with the high-risk group only, and fewer risk factors and minor marginal effects were identified for the low-risk groups. Practical Applications: Corresponding countermeasures for specific truck driver groups are proposed. And drivers with high risk of driving violations and high historical crash records should be more concerned.

Alcohol-related negative consequences can be very costly and emotionally devastating for those with Alcohol Use Disorder and those around them. Such, consequences include driving under the influence motor vehicle accident fatalities, other accidental deaths, and cirrhosis. We investigate two main queries using the data from Project COMBINE (Anton et al., 2006) to determine which negative consequences are most frequent for women, and to determine whether there are differences across ethnicity (for women) on negative consequences. The research method is secondary data analysis. An interpretation of the results turns the typical perspective on its head: We posit that results suggest women are escaping from interpersonal violence, which is of course an excellent outcome.

Traffic crashes are a significant public health concern killing more than 37,000 people each year in the U.S. Poly-drug impaired driving is a growing factor in many fatal crashes. Research has shown that cannabis and alcohol (separately and combined) impair driving ability and increase crash risk. Washington State legalized recreational cannabis in 2014 and has since seen a steady increase in adult use of cannabis, and relatedly, drivers testing positive for compounds associated with cannabis. This study examined the behaviors and culture (e.g., shared values and beliefs) associated with driving under the influence of cannabis and alcohol of a representative sample of adults in Washington State. Most adults (91%) reported they did not drive within 2 hr of consuming cannabis and alcohol, had a negative attitude about that behavior (81%), and believed it was unacceptable (83%). Those drivers who reported they did drive within 2 hr of consuming cannabis and alcohol had different beliefs, for example that using cannabis after having too much to drink would calm them down and sober them up. This study examined the relationship between attitudes, behavioral beliefs, perceived injunctive and descriptive norms, perceived control beliefs, values, and assumptions and driving within 2 hr of consuming cannabis and alcohol.

Highlights • Since a high proportion of drinkers drive to their drinking destination, promoting the use of alternative transportation (AT) is an important strategy for preventing impaired driving. • The primary goal of this study was to review and synthesize the findings of research studies designed to test the effectiveness of AT programs in reducing alcohol-impaired driving. • After a thorough review, we narrowed down the number of relevant articles to 76 including some background articles and government reports. • There is mixed evidence regarding the effectiveness of AT programs. Some AT programs produced reductions in one or more measures but others were not shown to be effective. • The most successful AT programs typically have social acceptance, a high level of public awareness, are low cost, have year-round availability, provide rides to and from drinking venues, have several sponsors that provide funding), are convenient and are perceived to be safe., Background: Studies have shown that approximately half of arrested intoxicated drivers had their last alcoholic drink at a licensed bar or restaurant. Current efforts to prevent intoxicated patrons from leaving licensed establishments and driving home have been only partially successful. Since a high proportion of drinkers drive to their drinking destination, promoting the use of alternative transportation (AT) – including safe ride shuttles, free or subsidized taxi and ridesharing services, voluntary or paid designated driver programs, and more accessible public transportation – is an important strategy for preventing impaired driving. Objective: The primary goal of this study was to review and synthesize the findings of research studies designed to test the effectiveness of AT programs in reducing alcohol-impaired driving. A secondary goal was to report if using AT has led to any unintended consequences, in particular greater alcohol consumption. Methods: We identified relevant academic articles, new articles, government reports, and other documents (English only) through the University of Chicago library, Google Scholar, and Google Search. We also included published articles recommended by peers. Key search terms included: alternative transportation; safe rides; designated driver; alcohol-impaired driving; alcohol consumption, cost effectiveness; and reduce drunk driving. Initially, we identified 168 potentially relevant sources, of which only 57 were academic articles. After a thorough review, we narrowed down the number of relevant articles to 125 including some background articles and government reports. Results: There is mixed evidence regarding the effectiveness of AT programs. Some AT programs produced reductions in one or more of the following outcomes: (1) impaired driving; (2) impaired driving crashes; (3) driving under the influence (DUI) arrests; and (4) traffic crashes in general, but others were not shown to be effective. A few programs resulted in greater self-reported alcohol use, but there were no significant findings indicating that drinking when using AT led to an increase in alcohol-related harms such as public intoxication, assaults, or other alcohol-related crime. Of the studies that conducted a cost-benefit analysis, most showed that AT programs yielded a positive benefit, but these studies did not include a sufficient number of variables to be considered true cost-benefit analyses. Conclusions: The literature review and synthesis revealed that the most successful AT programs typically have some of these attributes: (1) social acceptance; (2) high level of public awareness; (3) low cost; (4) year-round availability; (5) provide rides to and from drinking venues; (6) several sponsors that provide funding); (7) user convenience; and (8) perceived safety. Evaluations with more rigorous quasi-experimental and experimental designs are needed to identify which types of AT programs work best for different types of communities and target groups.

Importance: Cannabis use has been associated with increased crash risk, but the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on driving is unclear.Objective: To determine the driving impairment caused by vaporized cannabis containing Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD.Design, Setting, and Participants: A double-blind, within-participants, randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience at Maastricht University in the Netherlands between May 20, 2019, and March 27, 2020. Participants (N = 26) were healthy occasional users of cannabis.Interventions: Participants vaporized THC-dominant, CBD-dominant, THC/CBD-equivalent, and placebo cannabis. THC and CBD doses were 13.75 mg. Order of conditions was randomized and balanced.Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP; a measure of lane weaving) during 100 km, on-road driving tests that commenced at 40 minutes and 240 minutes after cannabis consumption. At a calibrated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.02%, SDLP was increased relative to placebo by 1.12 cm, and at a calibrated BAC of 0.05%, SDLP was increased relative to placebo by 2.4 cm.Results: Among 26 randomized participants (mean [SD] age, 23.2 [2.6] years; 16 women), 22 (85%) completed all 8 driving tests. At 40 to 100 minutes following consumption, the SDLP was 18.21 cm with CBD-dominant cannabis, 20.59 cm with THC-dominant cannabis, 21.09 cm with THC/CBD-equivalent cannabis, and 18.28 cm with placebo cannabis. SDLP was significantly increased by THC-dominant cannabis (+2.33 cm [95% CI, 0.80 to 3.86]; P .99), relative to placebo. At 240 to 300 minutes following consumption, the SDLP was 19.03 cm with CBD-dominant cannabis, 19.88 cm with THC-dominant cannabis, 20.59 cm with THC/CBD-equivalent cannabis, and 19.37 cm with placebo cannabis. The SDLP did not differ significantly in the CBD (−0.34 cm [95% CI, −1.77 to 1.10]; P > .99), THC (0.51 cm [95% CI, −1.01 to 2.02]; P > .99) or THC/CBD (1.22 cm [95% CI, −0.29 to 2.72]; P = .20) conditions, relative to placebo. Out of 188 test drives, 16 (8.5%) were terminated due to safety concerns.Conclusions and Relevance: In a crossover clinical trial that assessed driving performance during on-road driving tests, the SDLP following vaporized THC-dominant and THC/CBD-equivalent cannabis compared with placebo was significantly greater at 40 to 100 minutes but not 240 to 300 minutes after vaporization; there were no significant differences between CBD-dominant cannabis and placebo. However, the effect size for CBD-dominant cannabis may not have excluded clinically important impairment, and the doses tested may not represent common usage.

Introduction: Drugged driving, the act of driving while under the influence of one or more illicit substances, remains a critical problem needing to be addressed. The present study sought to analyze risk factors associated with past-year driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana among a national sample of U.S. adults. Method: Pooled data from the 2016–2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were analyzed among 124,466 adults ages 18 years or older. Results: Weighted logistic regression analyses revealed that 8.52% of adults drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year and 4.49% of adults drove under the influence of marijuana in the past year. Of concern, compared to heterosexuals, greater than 1 in 10 sexual minorities drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year. Moreover, a sizeable percentage of adults used other drugs while under the influence of alcohol including inhalants (70.3%), cocaine (68.9%), and hallucinogens (63.7%). Moreover, a great percentage of adults (53.4%) reported using methamphetamine while also under the influence of marijuana. Practical Applications: We believe our findings can inform harm reduction efforts and prevention messaging surrounding the dangers of drugged driving.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence demonstrates sexual orientation disparities in physical and sexual victimization and alcohol misuse and consequences among female youth; however, most extant research has used variable-centered approaches. The current study used latent class analysis (LCA), a person-centered approach, to: (1) model female youths’ physical and sexual victimization; (2) examine sexual orientation disparities in physical and sexual victimization latent class membership; (3) and use physical and sexual victimization latent class membership to predict female youths’ engagement in alcohol misuse and related consequences. METHOD: Participants were 7,185 youth assigned female sex at birth (77.0% heterosexual, 12.8% bisexual, 2.3% gay or lesbian; 46.8% racial minority) in grades 9 – 12 who completed the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey – a school-based, cross-sectional survey. RESULTS: LCA uncovered four classes: (1) “Poly-Victimization Class,” (2) “No Victimization Class,” (3) “Past-Year Sexual Victimization Class,” and (4) “Lifetime Rape Class.” Sexual orientation emerged as a significant predictor of class membership. Latent classes 3 and 4 were uniquely associated with alcohol misuse and consequences (i.e., binge drinking, riding with a drinking driver, and drinking and driving) among female youth. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings help to elucidate the patterns of physical and sexual victimization regarding timeline, tactic used, and context among female youth; sexual orientation disparities in latent class membership; and alcohol misuse correlates of class membership. Prevention efforts aimed at reducing physical and sexual victimization may ultimately reduce female youths’ risk of binge drinking, riding with drinking drivers, and drinking and driving.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The adverse health and safety consequences of heavy alcohol consumption are a leading problem around the world. While many risk factors have been extensively studied and presented in comprehensive summaries, not all questions regarding risk factors for problematic drinking behaviors have been answered and presented in systematic reviews. As of March 2020, no review has summarized studies assessing the role of promotional price practices at on-premises alcohol outlets, known as drink specials. Also missing was systematic information of policies that regulated these promotional practices. We aimed to synthesize the available research evidence of the effects that drink specials and drink special laws have on different alcohol-related outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Twelve studies examined the effect of drink specials in seven countries between 1978 and 2018. Of these, 11 found a consistent positive association between drink specials and increased alcohol consumption, heavy drinking, and alcohol intoxication. Drink specials also increased reports of driving under the influence, fighting, and unprotected sex. Drink specials were also associated with expectations of higher consumption and modified attitudes and behaviors towards favorable views of drink specials. Effect sizes ranged from 1.80 to 4.43 increased odds for the examined alcohol-related outcomes. The only study examining the effects of a drink special law revealed mixed findings between prohibiting happy hours and three alcohol-related outcomes. SUMMARY: Drink specials were consistently associated with alcohol-related adverse outcomes, but almost nothing is known about the effects of laws restricting drink specials.

People in community corrections have rates of HIV and sexual risk behaviors that are much higher than the general population. Prior literature suggests that criminal justice involvement is associated with increased sexual risk behaviors, yet these studies focus on incarceration and use one-sided study designs that only collect data from one partner. To address gaps in the literature, this study used the Actor Partner-Interdependence Model with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), to perform a dyadic analysis estimating individual (actor-only) partner-only, and dyadic patterns (actor-partner) of criminal justice involvement and greater sexual risks in a sample of 227 men on probation and their intimate partners in New York City, United States. Standard errors were bootstrapped with 10,000 replications to reduce bias in the significance tests. Goodness of fit indices suggested adequate or better model fit for all the models. Significant actor-only relationships included associations between exposures to arrest, misdemeanor convictions, time spent in jail or prison, felony convictions, lifetime number of incarceration events, prior conviction for disorderly conduct and increased sexual risk behaviors. Partner only effects included significant associations between male partners conviction for a violent crime and their female partners’ sexual risk behaviors. Men’s encounters with police and number of prior misdemeanors were associated with their own and intimate partners’ sexual risk behaviors. Women’s prior arrest was associated with their own and intimate partners’ sexual risk behaviors. The results from the present study suggest that men on probation and their intimate partners’ criminal justice involvement are associated with increased engagement in sexual risk behaviors. It is necessary to conduct greater research into developing dyadic sexual risk reduction and HIV/STI prevention interventions for people who are involved in the criminal justice system.

To assess divided-attention performance when driving under the influence of cannabis with and without alcohol. Three divided-attention tasks were performed following administration of placebo, cannabis, and/or alcohol.Healthy adult cannabis users participated in 6 sessions, receiving combinations of cannabis (placebo/low-THC/high-THC) and alcohol (placebo/active) in randomized order, separated by washout periods of ≥1 week. At 0.5 hours post-dosing, participants performed simulator drives in the University of Iowa National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS-1), a full vehicle cab simulator with a 360° horizontal field of view and motion base that provides realistic feedback. Drives contained repeated instances of three tasks: a side-mirror task (reaction to a triangle appearing in the side-mirrors), an artist-search task (select a specified artist from a navigable menu on the vehicle's console), and a message-reading task (read aloud a message displayed on the console). Blood THC and breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) were interpolated using individual power curves from samples collected approximately 0.17, 0.42, 1.4, and 2.3 hours post-dose. Driving measures during tasks were compared to equal-duration control periods occurring just prior to the task. Performance shifts, task completion, and lane departures were modeled relative to blood THC and BrAC using mixed-effects regression models.Each 1 µg/L increase in blood THC concentration predicted increased odds of failing to complete the artist-search task (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.11, p = 0.046), increased odds of selecting at least one incorrect response (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.09, p = 0.041), declines in speed during the side-mirror task (0.005 m/s, 95% CI: 0.001-0.009, p = 0.023), and longer lane departure durations during the artist-search task (0.74% of task-period, 95% CI: 0.12-1.36 p = 0.020). BrAC (approximately 0.05%) was not associated with task performance, though each 0.01 g/210 L increase predicted longer departure durations during the side-mirror task (1.41% of task-period, 95% CI: 0.08-2.76, p = 0.040) and increased standard deviation of lane position in the message-reading task (0.61 cm, 95% CI: 0.14-1.08, p = 0.011).With increasing medical and legal cannabis use, understanding the impact of acute cannabis use on driving performance, including divided-attention, is essential. These data indicate that impaired divided-attention performance is a safety concern.

The objective of the study is to assess the relation between socio-cognitive factors and unsafe traffic behaviour in different national settings. The study is based on the results of the second edition of ESRA (E-Survey of Road users' Attitudes), which was conducted in 32 countries in 2018 (ESRA2). The investigation focuses on the topic driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or medication (DUI) and related socio-cognitive constructs, i.e., attitudes, norms, perceived behaviour control, intention, and habits, and risk perception. Cross-national differences are assessed upon the example of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Japan, Nigeria, and Slovenia. In the analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to test the dimensions of the underlying socio-cognitive constructs and to define composite scores for further analysis. Linear regression models were fitted to investigate the association between these socio-cognitive factors and self-reported DUI. The same set of variables was used for all the linear regression models, i.e., the cross-national model (32 countries), and the seven national models. In total, 25,459 car drivers (at least a few days a month), were included in this analysis. The results show that: (i) the considered socio-cognitive factors are able to predict self-reported DUI across the different countries; (ii) these socio-cognitive factors are also able to predict DUI on a national level; (iii) the impact of socio-cognitive factors on DUI differs across countries. The strongest predictor in all countries was the construct habits, followed by norms and, to a lesser extent, attitudes and intention. Perceived behaviour control and risk perception only showed a significant effect on reported DUI in a few countries. In conclusion, the ESRA2 data offer a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into cross-national differences in traffic safety. Future research will focus on a more in- depth analysis of cross-national differences to other road safety topics.

Currently, marijuana or cannabis is the most consumed drug worldwide, and is also the one with the highest number of seizures, with 354 tons seized in Brazil in 2017. The increase in its consumption has been called attention, not only by the authorities, due to accidents caused when driving under the influence of the drug, but also by companies that carry out toxicological analyzes on their employees. For this, rapid tests, such as colorimetric tests, are generally used to analyze the urine of users. The need for agile and proper identification of drugs of abuse has encouraged the scientific community to improve and to develop new methodologies. Electrochemical methods appear as a cheap, portable and easy to use alternative. The use of biodegradable materials for the development of disposable electrodes has become paramount today. The use of 3D printers emerges as an alternative for the manufacture of these electrodes and the use of saliva instead of urine, has also been a priority because it is a less invasive sample and difficult to adulterate. In this work, a three dimensional device was created in an innovative way containing the three electrodes, working, counter and reference, in conductive material. The device was then used to detect the active principle present in cannabis, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, in aqueous solution, and its metabolite, 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC, in samples of real saliva, both through cyclic voltammetry. The positive results show that the proposed device can be used, as well as those already found on the market, for the identification of drug use and in the forensic field.

To examine the specific deterrent effect of prison on driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) recidivism. The study outcomes were the probabilities of DUI re-offending over 6 months, 24 months and 5 years ‘free time’ (i.e. time not spent in custody). The comparison group consisted of offenders convicted of DUI offending who received a suspended sentence of imprisonment. The effect of imprisonment was examined in a series of 2SLS models; employing an extensive set of controls (age, gender, race, remoteness of residence, socioeconomic status, legal representation, number of concurrent offences, DUI blood alcohol range, number of prior court appearances, prior penalties) and variation in the judicial proclivity to imprison convicted drunk drive offenders as an instrument to identify the effect of prison on DUI re-offending. Our free-time analyses reveal no evidence that imprisonment reduces the risk of DUI recidivism. Separate analyses for first-time DUI offenders revealed a slight (5%) reduction in re-offending over 24 months free time but no effect over 5 years. We conclude that the funds currently spent on imprisoning DUI offenders could be more fruitfully be invested in measures that show more promise in reducing DUI recidivism.

BACKGROUND About 30% of all motor vehicle fatalities in the United States are associated with alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes. Arrests for drinking and driving (Driving under the influence [DUI]) are 1 of the most important deterrence actions to minimize DUI. This paper examines trends and population-level correlates of drinking driving arrests (DUI) from 2005 to 2017 in California. METHODS Arrest data come from the Monthly Arrest and Citation Register compiled by the California Department of Justice. Sociodemographic and community characteristic data from the U.S. Census, alcohol outlet density, and distance to the U.S.-Mexico border from Law Enforcement Reporting Areas (LERA) centroids were aggregated at the level of 499 LERA contributing to the report. Reported arrest rates were related to area sociodemographic characteristics using hierarchical Bayesian Poisson space-time models. RESULTS Both among men and women rates showed an upward trend until 2008, decreasing after that year. DUI arrest rates were greater among Hispanics than Whites for the 2 younger age groups, 18 to 29 (p

An analytical method for the detection of 40 benzodiazepines, (±)-zopiclone, zaleplon and zolpidem in blood and urine by solid-phase extraction liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated. Twenty-nine of 43 analytes were quantified in 0.5 mL whole blood for investigating postmortem, drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) and driving under the influence of drugs cases (DUID). The four different dynamic ranges of the seven-point, linear, 1/x weighted calibration curves with lower limits of quantification of 2, 5, 10 and 20 μg/L across the analytes encompassed the majority of our casework encountered in postmortem, DFSA and DUID samples. Reference materials were available for all analytes except α-hydroxyflualprazolam, a hydroxylated metabolite of flualprazolam. The fragmentation of α-hydroxyflualprazolam was predicted from the fragmentation pattern of α-hydroxyalprazolam, and the appropriate transitions were added to the method to enable monitoring for this analyte. Urine samples were hydrolyzed at 55°C for 30 min with a genetically modified β-glucuronidase enzyme, which resulted in >95% efficiency measured by oxazepam glucuronide. Extensive sample preparation included combining osmotic lysing and protein precipitation with methanol/acetonitrile mixture followed by freezing and centrifugation resulted in exceptionally high signal-to-noise ratios. Bias and between-and within-day imprecision for quality controls (QCs) were all within ±15%, except for clonazolam and etizolam that were within ±20%. All 29 of the 43 analytes tested for QC performance met quantitative reporting criteria within the dynamic ranges of the calibration curves, and 14 analytes, present only in the calibrator solution, were qualitatively reported. Twenty-five analytes met all quantitative reporting criteria including dilution integrity. The ability to analyze quantitative blood and qualitative urine samples in the same batch is one of the most useful elements of this procedure. This sensitive, specific and robust analytical method was routinely employed in the analysis of >300 samples in our laboratory over the last 6 months.

While the impact of genetic polymorphisms on the metabolism of various pharmaceuticals is well known, more data are needed to better understand the specific influence of pharmacogenetics on the metabolism of delta 9-tetrahydocannabinol (Δ9-THC). Therefore, the aim of the study was to analyze the potential impact of variations in genes coding for phase I enzymes of the Δ9-THC metabolism. First, a multiplex assay for genotyping different variants of genes coding for phase I enzymes was developed and applied to 66 Δ9-THC-positive blood samples obtained in cases of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID). Genetic and demographic data as well as plasma concentrations of Δ9-THC, 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-Δ9-THC), and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-THC (Δ9-THC-COOH) were combined and statistically investigated. For cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) variants, no differences in analyzed cannabinoid concentrations were found. There were also no differences in the concentrations of Δ9-THC and 11-OH-Δ9-THC for the different allelic CPY2C9 status. We recognized significantly lower Δ9-THC-COOH concentrations for CYP2C9*3 (p = 0.001) and a trend of lower Δ9-THC-COOH concentrations for CYP2C9*2 which did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.068). In addition, this study showed significantly higher values in the ratio of Δ9-THC/Δ9-THC-COOH for the carriers of the CYP2C9 variants CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 compared with the carriers of the corresponding wild-type alleles. Therefore, an impact of variations of the CYP2C9 gene on the interpretation of cannabinoid plasma concentrations in DUID cases should be considered.

Purpose. The article explores the topical topic of assessing the security risk of public servants. One of the main responsibilities of public authorities is to protect national security, that is, to protect the country and the community from threats related to disorderly conduct and welfare. Relevance. The urgency of the problem of assessing the risk of public servants is to research and substantiate the appropriate methodology for the effectiveness of the assessment. The recommended methodology for risk assessment is unique in that the main focus is on the risks posed by persons having legitimate access to the assets of public authorities. It is simple, reliable, flexible and transparent. It can be used on its own or as a supplement to an existing risk assessment program. Although the guidance explains how to check the risks posed by a person to a valuable asset, it does not attempt to indicate which of these assets is the most important or which employee group may be the most threatening. Results. The recommended risk assessment methodology provides the basis for the work, but in order for this work to be successful in accordance with the methodology, it is necessary to identify appropriate positions in the public authority for professionals with their further access to the necessary information. The stages of the risk assessment process highlight the threat identification and vulnerability assessment. It has been established that the risk assessment process consists in the importance of following the risk assessment process step by step and the lack of assumptions about the final results. Therefore, the article examines the risk assessment process carried out at the appropriate levels. Conclusions. It turns out that risk assessments are most effective when they are an integral part of the risk management process. This helps to transform risk assessment into action. The best results are achieved when the risk assessment team is composed of: employees and security teams responsible for risk management, persons with deep knowledge of specific areas of activity of employees, external specialists in the field of risk assessment. To maximize the benefits of employee safety risk assessment: Risk assessment requires discussion and benefits from the exchange of views from various areas of government.

It is unknown how military-connected participants in DUI programs differ from civilians on sociodemographic, health, and alcohol severity factors. This study analyzed data from 19,639 DUI program p...

Aims To analyze racial/ethnic disparities in risk of two alcohol-related events, alcohol-related injury and self-reported perceived driving under the influence (DUI) from hours of exposure to an elevated blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Methods Risk curves for the predicted probability of these two outcomes from the number of hours of exposure to a BAC ≥ 0.08 mg% in the past year were analyzed separately for whites, blacks and Hispanics in a merged sample of respondents from four US National Alcohol Surveys (2000–2015). Results Hours of exposure to a BAC ≥ 0.08 showed a stronger association with perceived DUI than with alcohol-related injury for all racial/ethnic groups. Greater risk was found for whites than blacks or Hispanics for outcomes at nearly all BAC exposure levels, and most marked at the highest level of exposure. Risk of both outcomes was significant for whites at all exposure levels, but small for alcohol-related injury. Little association was found for alcohol-related injury for blacks or Hispanics. For perceived DUI, risk for blacks was significantly elevated at lower levels of exposure, while risk for Hispanics was significantly elevated beginning at 30 h of exposure. Conclusions Findings showed racial/ethnic differences in risk of alcohol-related injury and perceived DUI from hours of exposure to elevated BAC. Risk increased at relatively low levels of exposure to a BAC ≥ 0.08, especially for whites, highlighting the importance of preventive efforts to reduce harmful outcomes for moderate drinkers.

Chun-Ying Huang,1,* Sheng-En Chou,1,* Wei-Ti Su,1 Hang-Tsung Liu,1 Ting-Min Hsieh,1 Shiun-Yuan Hsu,1 Hsiao-Yun Hsieh,2 Ching-Hua Hsieh2 1Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University and College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan; 2Department of Plastic Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University and College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ching-Hua HsiehDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, TaiwanTel +886-7-7327476Email m93chinghua@gmail.comBackground: In June 2013, the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving was lowered from 0.05 to 0.03 mg/mL in Taiwan. Thus, this study aimed to assess the epidemiological changes in terms of drinking among drivers in southern Taiwan before and after the law was imposed.Methods: Only patients who had undergone the BAC test at the emergency room were included in the study. The patients during the study period before (n = 2735) and after (n = 2413) the implementation of the law were selected for comparison. Drunk patients were defined as those who had a BAC ≥ 0.005 and were considered as driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. Meanwhile, driving while intoxicated (DWI) was defined as a BAC ≥ 0.05, which was the level adopted in the new law.Results: Since the BAC limit lowered to 0.03, the number of DUI patients significantly decreased from 340 (12.4%) to 171 (7.1%), and that of DWI patients significantly reduced from 273 (10.0%) to 146 (6.1%) based on the alcohol test. In addition, after the implementation of the law, the number of associated injuries did not significantly decrease from that before the law was implemented in patients involved in alcohol-related crashes.Conclusion: After lowering the legal BAC limit from 0.05 to 0.03, responsiveness to the change in law was observed among the studied population. However, such responsiveness may not be observed in some citizens who may need special interventions to help reduce their behavior of drinking and driving.Keywords: alcohol, blood alcohol concentration, BAC, driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, driving while intoxicated, DWI, alcohol-related crashes, law sanction, mortality

Objectives We assess the individual willingness to pay for diseases arising from risky lifestyles and investigate the personal factors that influence such willingness. Study design We conducted an online survey with 821 respondents in Italy. The questionnaire was distributed via Facebook® in July and August 2016. The questionnaire covered sociodemographic characteristics, health status, behaviour and psychological attitudes, economic status, and opinion about covering the healthcare costs related to overeating, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyles, alcohol abuse, tobacco smoking, driving under the influence of alcohol, and illegal drug use by. Methods We performed the following: (1) the study of the patterns in the dependent variables by principal component analysis; (2) analysis of the determinants by Holdout Variable Importance measure obtained in Random Forest; and (3) we used ordered logit models. Results Participants agreed with the idea that public health care should be provided for problems arising from bad eating habits and sedentary lifestyle (50.4%), whereas the health care consequences of the other risky behaviours should not be publicly financed by the Italian National Health Service. Conclusions Our study gives an overview of the willingness to pay of a population living in a country where financing of the Health Service is based on general taxation. So, these results may be generalized, with due caution, to all the countries where the Health Service offers universal coverage and is operated by the government, but of course not to scenarios related to market-based or social health insurance systems.