Prevalence and Correlates of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Cannabis Among Spanish Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE

Traffic accidents are one of the leading external causes of death among young people in Spain, and driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs (DUI) is a prime contributing factor. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of research looking at DUI risk factors in adolescents. This study aimed to estimate the past-year prevalence and correlates of DUI-alcohol (DUI-A), DUI-cannabis (DUI-C), and both (DUI-A+C) in adolescents who reported past-year alcohol and cannabis use.

METHOD: The study sample comprised 3,175 (47.9% females; M age [SD] = 16.76 [0.70]) Spanish adolescents from a national representative survey (ESTUDES) conducted by the Spanish Ministry of Health. Hierarchical regression models were conducted to identify correlates of DUI-A only, DUI-C only, and both behaviors, including sociodemographic, substance use, and parental control variables.

RESULTS

Past-year prevalence of DUI was 9.9% among past-year alcohol and cannabis users. Past-year DUI was more likely among males (15.4%) relative to females (6%), chi-squared = 73.39, p = <.001, phi = .152. Being male and reporting higher past-month days of cannabis use and cannabis-related problems were common risk factors for DUI-C and DUI-A+C. Risk factors for DUI-A were the availability of more money for going out, higher past-month frequency of heavy drinking episodes, and lower past-month cannabis use days. Specific correlates of DUI-A+C were being 18, past-year simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use, and earlier age at alcohol use initiation.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need to address DUI in substance use prevention in school settings. Screening should be particularly focused on adolescent substance users, whereas interventions should target attitudes and risks of substance use and driving.