In Brief
- In 2002 and 2003, 21% of persons aged 16 to 20 reported that they had driven in the past year while under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs
- Among persons aged 16 to 20, whites and American Indians/Alaska Natives were more likely to report DUI than other racial/ethnic groups
- In 2002 and 2003, approximately 4% of persons who reported DUI in the past year had been arrested and booked for DUI in the past year
Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death among young persons aged 16 to 20 in 2002.(Ref.1). In that year, 6,327 persons aged 16 to 20 were involved in fatal crashes, representing a 10% increase since 1999. In addition, 29% of drivers aged 15 to 20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2002 had been drinking alcohol.(Ref.2) The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) asks persons aged 12 or older if they had driven a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year (Ref.3) and if they had been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).(Ref.4) The survey also asks about the use of alcohol and any illicit drugs in the past year and past month. Alcohol measures used in this report include any past month use, binge use, and heavy use. Binge alcohol use is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past 30 days. Heavy alcohol use is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days; all heavy alcohol users also are binge alcohol users. NSDUH defines “illicit drugs” to include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, or prescription-type drugs used non-medically.
In 2002 and 2003, more than 4 million persons (21%) aged 16 to 20 reported DUI involving either alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year. In this age group, 17% reported past year DUI involving alcohol, 14 % reported DUI involving illicit drugs, and 8% reported DUI involving a combination of alcohol and illicit drugs used together.
Among persons aged 16 to 20, older persons had a higher reported prevalence of DUI involving alcohol or illicit drugs than those who were younger. For example, persons aged 20 were nearly 3 times more likely to have driven under the influence than persons aged 16 (28 vs. 10%). Among all persons aged 16 to 20, males (24%) were more likely to report DUI involving alcohol or illicit drugs than females (18%). Among racial/ethnic groups, whites (26%) and American Indians/Alaska Natives (28%) were more likely to report DUI involving alcohol or illicit drugs than members of other racial/ethnic groups.
(25%), followed by persons who lived in small MSAs (23%) and persons who lived in large MSAs
(19%).(Ref.7).
2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2003, August). Traffic safety facts 2002: Young drivers. from http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/TSF2002/2002ydrfacts.pdf Dec.2 2004
3. Respondents were asked, in three different questions, if during the past 12 months they had driven a vehicle while under the influence of (a) alcohol only, (b) illicit drugs only, or (c) a combination of alcohol and illicit drugs used together. Responses to these questions then were recoded to determine the prevalence of DUI involving (a) alcohol, (b) illicit drugs, (c) either alcohol or illicit drugs, or (d) both alcohol and illicit drugs.
4. Respondents were asked if during the past 12 months they had been arrested and booked for DUI involving alcohol or illicit drugs.
5. Persons aged 15 or younger were not included in these analyses because a substantial portion of persons aged 15 or younger are prohibited from driving by State laws.
6. The Midwest has 12 States: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, and WI. The South has 17 States: AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WV. The Northeast has 9 States: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT. And the West has 13 States: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, and WY.
7. Large metropolitan areas have a population of 1 million or more. Small metropolitan areas have a population of fewer than 1 million. Non-metropolitan areas are outside metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), as defined by the Office of Management and Budget. See the U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2003, June 12). About metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. Retrieved December 1, 2004, from http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/aboutmetro.html
8. This excludes an estimated 38,000 persons who reported they had been arrested and booked for DUI in the past year but indicated elsewhere that they had not driven under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the past year.
Office of Applied Studies. (2004). Results from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 04–3964, NSDUH Series H–25). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.