DRIVING AFTER SMOKING MARIJUANA
FACT:
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DRIVING AFTER
USING MARIJUANA
IS DANGEROUS
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According to a recent driving study, as
many as 1 in 5 teen drivers say they drove
under the influence of marijuana. More
than one-third of them did not believe that
marijuana affected their driving, whereas
less than one-fifth of teens who drove after
drinking alcohol said their driving wasn’t
impaired.
These numbers show that some teen drivers aren’t getting the message that both
alcohol and drugs—including marijuana—
are dangerous risks behind the wheel. Not
only that, but drivers under the influence of
these substances endanger other users of the
road as well.
Reducing drunk driving has been a focus of
public health campaigns in the United States
for a long time. After all, SADD, which now
stands for Students Against Destructive Decisions, started out as Students Against Drunk
Driving. Only recently have people started
talking about how driving high or buzzed is
just as risky as driving drunk.
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Speak Up
The driving study mentioned above also
found that 90% of teen drivers would stop
driving under the influence of marijuana if
asked by their passengers. If you see someone who’s about to drive after using marijuana, tell them it’s not a good idea.
Note: Drugs and alcohol aren’t the only
things that may mess with your driving
skills—check out Distraction.gov to find out
about how eating, using a GPS, texting, or
talking to passengers can also lead to an
accident.
“We are a drug free workplace
committed to keeping kids drug free”
206 N. Wilson Ave. - Jefferson, IA
515-386-4234
Oly’s
Corner
515-386-3834
We are proud to support
a DRUG FREE future for
our youth!
Your Brain in the Driver’s Seat
Because driving is such a common activity,
it’s easy to forget how you really must stay
alert to stay safe. While it may seem like
your body goes on automatic when accelerating or changing lanes, really your brain is
in high gear.
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Drugs and alcohol interfere with the
brain’s ability to function properly. THC, the
main active ingredient in marijuana, affects
areas of the brain that control the body’s
movements, balance, coordination, memory,
and judgment, so it’s no surprise that marijuana and driving don’t mix.
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| Iowa - 2014 | abusemagazine.org
Source: http://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/fact-driving-after-using-marijuana-dangerous-0