NCJ Number
216028
Journal
Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2006 Pages: 299-312
Date Published
August 2006
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Findings are presented from a survey in Melbourne, Australia on the prevalence of drug driving among those patronizing club and rave settings.
Abstract
Results of this study indicate that drug driving is relatively widespread among club and rave attendees, with around half or 48 percent of all respondents reporting to have driven a motor vehicle within 4 hours of consuming an illicit substance at least once in the past year. Of individuals who reported having driven after using an illicit drug, just under a third reported having done so several times. In addition, 22 percent reported having driven while knowingly intoxicated at least once in the past year. Through regression analysis, the study found that age and gender were predictive of drug use in all settings. Relatively permissive attitudes towards drug driving, coupled with higher than average prevalence of drug driving in one’s peer group, were found to be significant predictors of drug driving. Even though research suggests that drug driving may be relatively widespread among club and rave communities, it remains unclear as to why this may be happening. Utilizing a semi-structured survey, this study explored the prevalence and frequency of drug driving among club and rave attendees in Melbourne, Australia, as well as patrons’ attitudes and experiences relative to drug driving. The study also attempted to identify various predictors of drug driving and explored the broader culture and context of young people’s use of illicit drugs in club and rave settings and their impact on young people’s use of motor vehicles. The study sample consisted of 455 club and rave patrons between the ages of 15 and 58 years. Tables, references