State Estimates of Persons Aged 18 or Older Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Illicit Drugs

摘要

Impaired driving continues to be a severe and persistent threat to public safety, and the number of deaths from traffic crashes involving impaired drivers is higher than the number of deaths from all other causes among persons aged 3 to 33. In 2006, an estimated 30.5 million persons aged 12 or older drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past 12 months (past year), and 10.2 million persons aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs during the past year. 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. NSDUH defines illicit drugs to include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, or prescription-type drugs used nonmedically. This report presents estimates of past year driving under the influence of alcohol and illicit drugs among current drivers aged 18 or older in each of the 50 States and the District of Columbia.5,6 All findings presented in this report are annual averages based on combined 2004, 2005, and 2006 NSDUH data.