Millions Are Driving Under the Influence
By Kristin Blank
 A car swerves into a tree barely
missing a school bus. A truck plows
through a red light into oncoming
traffic. We hear about incidents
such as these on the local news almost
every day. How serious a problem
is this nationwide?
In a first-of-its-kind report, SAMHSA’s
National Survey on Drug Use and Health
(NSDUH) reveals troubling data, state
by state, on drinking alcohol or
using illicit drugs while driving.
Nationwide, an estimated 30.5 million
drivers age 12 or older drove under
the influence of alcohol at least
once in the past year, according
to 2006 NSDUH data.
The report, State
Estimates of Persons Aged 18 or
Older Driving Under the Influence
of Alcohol or Illicit Drugs,
finds that 15.1 percent of current
drivers age 18 or older drove under
the influence of alcohol at least
once in the past year. In some states,
the levels are higher—about
one in four drivers.
Nearly 1 in 20 adult drivers age
18 or older drove under the influence
of illicit drugs, such as marijuana/hashish,
cocaine/crack, inhalants, hallucinogens,
heroin, or prescription drugs used
nonmedically.
The report’s findings are
annual averages based on combined
NSDUH data collected from 127,283
current drivers surveyed in 2004,
2005, and 2006, the most recent data
available.
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Alcohol
Rates of past-year driving under
the influence of alcohol were highest
among current drivers age 18 or older
in the following states:
Utah had the lowest rate of people
18 or older driving under the influence
of alcohol (9.5 percent).
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Illicit Drugs
Past-year rates of driving under
the influence of illicit drugs among
persons age 18 or older were highest
in the following:
District of Columbia (7.0
percent) Rhode Island (6.8 percent) Massachusetts (6.4 percent) Montana (6.3 percent) Wyoming (6.2 percent).
New Jersey had the lowest rate of
people age 18 or older driving under
the influence of illicit drugs (3.2
percent).
According to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, almost
16,700 deaths in 2004 were caused
by accidents related to driving under
the influence of alcohol. Overall,
driving under the influence of alcohol
and illicit drugs is among the leading
sources of preventable death by injury
in the United States.
The full report, State
Estimates of Persons Aged 18 or
Older Driving Under the Influence
of Alcohol or Illicit Drugs, is available for free
download on SAMHSA’s Web site
at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/
stateDUI/stateDUI.cfm. 
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