The relationship between performance on the standardised field sobriety tests, driving performance and the level of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in blood

Papafotiou, Katherine; Carter, James D.; Stough, Con

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2004.11.009

Cited by 84 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 15 publications

(17 reference statements)

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“…As with earlier data from our country in which frequent consumption of drugs among drivers [18], and particularly of cannabis was shown, as well as a frequent detection of cannabis in drivers killed in road traffic accidents [19], cannabis and driving is a real problem that needs the development of appropriate countermeasures. Recent reports of a noticeable increase of cannabis, cocaine and amphetamine consumption among young French drivers killed in traffic accidents add to the urgency [20] The development of a reliable system to detect drugs/ cannabis in oral fluid [21,22] and the establishment of cut-offs based on scientific data [23][24][25], could allow the development of appropriate legislative and enforcement measures [26]. It has also been reported that increasing the certainty of punishment would reduce driving under the influence of cannabis, while providing information about the risk associated with such behavior has little effect [27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cannabis and driving: Results from a general population survey

Álvarez

Fierro

Rio

2007

Forensic Science International

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The role of illicit drugs on driving, and particularly of cannabis and driving, is the object of increasing awareness. While there is increasing evidence of their effect on psychomotor performance and increased risk of involvement in traffic accidents, limited information is available concerning factors that can predict the likelihood of driving under the influence of cannabis. The present study aims to determine the past year prevalence of driving under the influence of cannabis, and of being a passenger in a vehicle driven by a person under the influence of cannabis, as well as to examine the correlations with a broad range of potential risk factors. A total of 2500 people, aged between 14 and 70 and living in Castille and Leon (Spain), were surveyed in 2004 with regard to their consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs. Among those who reported cannabis use in the previous year, further assessment was carried out. 15.7% of those surveyed reported cannabis consumption in the previous 12 months, of whom 9.7% reported driving a vehicle under the influence of cannabis during this period, on average eight times. One out of five (19.9%) reported being a passenger in a vehicle driven by a person under the influence of cannabis, on average five times in the previous 12 months. The predictors of driving under the influence of cannabis were the population size of community, the number of drugs consumed, reference to cannabis-related problems and to being a passenger in a vehicle driven by a person under the influence of alcohol. The data show that cannabis consumption and driving is common, and requires more attention from policy makers. #

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cannabis and driving: Results from a general population survey

Álvarez

Fierro

Rio

2007

Forensic Science International

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“…The number of puffs and time between puffs were standardized. Blood for THC and THCCOOH assays was drawn from an indwelling venous catheter in the arm 120 and 5 min before cannabis smoking and at 2,5,10,15,20,25,30,50,70,90,110, and 235 min after the start of smoking. Heparinized plasma was stored at Ϫ20°C until analysis.…”

Section: Materials and Methods Participants And Study Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These and similar studies have demonstrated a connection between accidents and cannabis use, but have not established causation by cannabis, despite the knowledge that individuals who use cannabis have impaired performance in driving simulator and on-the-road tests (4 -8 ). In the driving studies, the strongest decrements were in the drivers' abilities to concentrate and maintain attention, estimate time and distance, and demonstrate coordination on divided attention tasks, all important requirements for driving (9,10 ). Drummer et al (11 ) did determine causality in a study of 3398 fatally injured drivers in Australia, using culpability analysis, and reported that drivers with blood THC concentrations of 5 g/L or greater were 6.6 times more likely than drug-free drivers to have a fatal accident.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the Time of Last Cannabis Use from Plasma Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-nor-9-Carboxy-Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Concentrations

Huestis

Barnes

Smith³

2005

Clinical Chemistry

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Background: Knowing the time cannabis was last used is important for determining impairment in accident investigations and clinical evaluations. Two models for predicting time of last cannabis use from single plasma cannabinoid concentrations-model I, using ⌬ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and model II, using the concentration ratio of 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH) to THC-were developed and validated from controlled drug administration studies. Objectives of the current study were to extend the validation by use of a large number of plasma samples collected after administration of single and multiple doses of THC and to examine the effectiveness of the models at low plasma cannabinoid concentrations. Methods: Thirty-eight cannabis users each smoked a 2.64% THC cigarette in the morning, and 30 also smoked a second cigarette in the afternoon. Blood samples (n ‫؍‬ 717) were collected at intervals after smoking, and plasma THC and THCCOOH concentrations measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Predicted times of cannabis smoking, based on each model, were compared with actual smoking times. Results: The most accurate approach applied a combination of models I and II. For all 717 plasma samples, 99% of predicted times of last use were within the 95% confidence interval, 0.9% were overestimated, and none were underestimated. For 289 plasma samples collected after multiple doses, 97% were correct with no underestimates. All time estimates were correct for 76 plasma

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“…First, though it is widely accepted today that cannabis use can impair driving abilities [12][13][14]34] , it has also been argued that in practice there might not be any decrease in driving abilities due to the compensation of more cautious driving by cannabis-impaired drivers [31,35] . Additionally, a triggering effect of cannabis use on violent behavior (leading to injuries) has not been proven.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, using cannabis before work or school is commonly considered to be problematic [11,12] . In connection with the impairing effect of cannabis on cognitive functioning and concentration, many recent studies show evidence of the decreased capacities of intoxicated motor vehicle drivers [13,14] and conclude that driving while under the influence of cannabis must be considered problematic [12] . Some studies found a strong correlation between cannabis use and depression [15][16][17] , whereas others did not [18,19] .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How to Screen for Problematic Cannabis Use in Population Surveys

Annaheim¹,

Rehm²,

Gmel³

2008

Eur Addict Res

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Background/Aims: Cannabis use is a growing challenge for public health, calling for adequate instruments to identify problematic consumption patterns. The Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test (CUDIT) is a 10-item questionnaire used for screening cannabis abuse and dependency. The present study evaluated that screening instrument. Methods: In a representative population sample of 5,025 Swiss adolescents and young adults, 593 current cannabis users replied to the CUDIT. Internal consistency was examined by means of Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, the CUDIT was compared to accepted concepts of problematic cannabis use (e.g. using cannabis and driving). ROC analyses were used to test the CUDIT’s discriminative ability and to determine an appropriate cut-off. Results: Two items (‘injuries’ and ‘hours being stoned’) had loadings below 0.5 on the unidimensional construct and correlated lower than 0.4 with the total CUDIT score. All concepts of problematic cannabis use were related to CUDIT scores. An ideal cut-off between six and eight points was found. Conclusions: Although the CUDIT seems to be a promising instrument to identify problematic cannabis use, there is a need to revise some of its items.

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The relationship between performance on the standardised field sobriety tests, driving performance and the level of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in blood

Cited by 84 publications

References 15 publications

Cannabis and driving: Results from a general population survey

Cannabis and driving: Results from a general population survey

Estimating the Time of Last Cannabis Use from Plasma Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-nor-9-Carboxy-Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Concentrations

How to Screen for Problematic Cannabis Use in Population Surveys

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