Screening for drugs in oral fluid : illicit drug use and drug driving in a sample of urban and regional Queensland motorists


Autoria(s): Davey, Jeremy D.; Freeman, James E.; Lavelle, Anita L.
Data(s)

01/07/2009

Resumo

Police services in a number of Australian states and overseas jurisdictions have begun to implement or consider random road-side drug testing of drivers. This paper outlines research conducted to provide an estimate of the extent of drug driving in a sample of Queensland drivers in regional, rural and metropolitan areas. Oral fluid samples were collected from 2657 Queensland motorists and screened for illicit substances including cannabis (delta 9 tetrahydrocannibinol [THC]), amphetamines, ecstasy, and cocaine. Overall, 3.8% of the sample (n = 101) screened positive for at least one illicit substance, although multiple drugs were identified in a sample of 23 respondents. The most common drugs detected in oral fluid were ecstasy (n = 53), and cannabis (n = 46) followed by amphetamines (n = 23). A key finding was that cannabis was confirmed as the most common self-reported drug combined with driving and that individuals who tested positive to any drug through oral fluid analysis were also more likely to report the highest frequency of drug driving. Furthermore, a comparison between drug vs. drink driving detection rates for one region of the study, revealed a higher detection rate for drug driving (3.8%) vs. drink driving (0.8%). This research provides evidence that drug driving is relatively prevalent on Queensland roads, and may in fact be more common than drink driving. This paper will further outline the study findings’ and present possible directions for future drug driving research.

Formato

application/pdf

Identificador

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/26137/

Publicador

Elsevier

Relação

http://eprints.qut.edu.au/26137/1/c26137.pdf

DOI:10.1016/j.trf.2009.04.005

Davey, Jeremy D., Freeman, James E., & Lavelle, Anita L. (2009) Screening for drugs in oral fluid : illicit drug use and drug driving in a sample of urban and regional Queensland motorists. Transportation Research Part F Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 12(4), pp. 311-316.

Direitos

Copyright 2009 Elsevier

Fonte

Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety - Qld (CARRS-Q); Faculty of Health; Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation; School of Psychology & Counselling

Palavras-Chave #160404 Urban and Regional Studies (excl. Planning) #160200 CRIMINOLOGY #150703 Road Transportation and Freight Services #drug driving #oral fluid #road-side drug screening
Tipo

Journal Article