Substance use and impaired driving prevalence among Francophone and Anglophone postsecondary students in Western Canada

Examining the impact of legalization on the prevalence of driving after using cannabis: A comparison of rural and non-rural parts of Canada

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the likelihood of driving after using cannabis, and of being a passenger with someone who is driving after using cannabis, in rural areas and non-rural areas before and after legalization.

METHODS

A multi-wave analysis of Canada's National Cannabis Survey was conducted using logistic regression with interactions to predict the prevalence of driving after using cannabis, and of being a passenger with someone who is driving after using cannabis, in relation to place of residence (rural or non-rural) and in the weeks and months before and after legalization. Three time points were compared: pre-legalization, two months following legalization and 1 year after legalization.

RESULTS

At the national level, there are no significant differences between the predicted estimates of driving after using cannabis for those who live in rural and non-rural areas. However, when examining the impact of legalization, we found a significant increase in driving after using cannabis among rural residents directly following legalization. Furthermore, it was observed that this increase in driving after using cannabis returns to pre-legalization rates one year after legalization. By contrast, in the weeks and months following legalization, driving after using cannabis decreased among those living in non-rural areas, and slowly increased soon thereafter. No significant differences were observed, in either time period or group, in the prevalence of being a passenger with someone who is driving after using cannabis.

CONCLUSIONS

The finding of significantly higher risk of driving after use of cannabis soon after legalization in rural areas suggests a need for more attention to address immediate concerns for public safety. The increased potential for traffic injuries and deaths in other jurisdictions contemplating legalization supports the call for more and better targeted prevention efforts in rural communities that have far too often been overlooked and under-served.

Prologue to the special issue on predrinking and drinking game behaviors among adolescents and young adults in the United States and across the globe: Definitions and overview of prevalence rates

Predrinking and drinking games (DGs) are common risky drinking practices among adolescents and young adults in many different countries around the world. However, most studies on these behaviors have been conducted with university student samples in a limited number of countries. Despite the risks of negative alcohol-related consequences associated with predrinking and DGs, these activities are quite prevalent among young people. In this prologue, we provide definitions for predrinking and DGs and an extensive overview of the known prevalence rates of predrinking and DGs among young people around the world. This special issue addresses known gaps in the literature by including articles which (a) use differing methodologies to examine predrinking or DGs behavior, (b) consider psychosocial and contextual factors that influence these behaviors, and (c) examine young people's perceptions of alcohol policies and interventions. Taken together this Special Issue offers an international view on how and why young people around the world engage in these risky drinking practices, and potential ways to address these behaviors.

Recreational Cannabis Legislation: substance use and impaired driving among Canadian rural and urban postsecondary students

BACKGROUND

Investigation of cannabis use trends among emerging adults (EA, aged between 18 and 24 years) following 2018 Canadian Recreational Cannabis Legislation (RCL) is critical. EAs report the heaviest cannabis use in Canada and are particularly vulnerable to the onset of problematic substance use.

OBJECTIVES

To describe and compare post-RCL use of cannabis and other state-altering substances, as well as the prevalence of impaired driving, among EA postsecondary students in both rural and urban settings, studying on one of five campuses in either Manitoba, Ontario, or Quebec.

METHODS

For this quantitative cross-sectional study, a self-report survey was administered to 1496 EA postsecondary students in the months following RCL (2018-2019). Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the influence of provincial and urban/rural living contexts on recreational cannabis use, other state-altering substance use and impaired driving behaviours, adjusting for sociodemographic variables.

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences were observed between cohorts in almost all measures. Quebec students were more likely to have consumed cannabis during their lifetime (AOR = 1.41, 95% CI [1.05, 1.90]) than all other cohorts. Rural cohorts all had greater odds of reporting consumption of cannabis during the previous year compared to urban cohorts (AOR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.04, 1.67]). However, the relation between cannabis use in the last month and operating a motor vehicle after using cannabis (lifetime and past month) and living context differed between subjects in Quebec and those in the two other provinces. Quebec's students having lived mostly in urban contexts had greater odds of using cannabis in the past month and operating a motor vehicle after using cannabis (lifetime and past month) than those in rural contexts; the opposite was observed in Manitoba and Ontario. Differing interprovincial prohibitive/permissive legislation and licit cannabis infrastructure appeared to have little impact on post-RCL substance use.

CONCLUSIONS

In Manitoba and in Ontario, rural/urban living context seems to better predict substance use and related road-safety practices, suggesting these trends supersede permissive/prohibitive provincial legislation and licit cannabis-related infrastructures. Further investigation into sociodemographic factors influencing state-altering substance use and impaired driving, and maintaining tailored cannabis misuse prevention campaigns, is warranted on Canadian campuses.

From phone use to speeding and driving under influence: Identifying clusters of driving risk behaviors as an opportunity for targeted interventions

Identifying the profile of risky behaviors among drivers is central to propose effective interventions. Due to the multidimensional and overlapping aspects of risky driving behaviors, cluster analysis can provide additional insights in order to identify specific subgroups of risk. This study aimed to identify clusters of driving risk behavior (DRB) among car drivers, and to verify intra-cluster differences concerning clinical and sociodemographic variables. We approached a total of 12,231 drivers and we included 6392 car drivers. A cluster algorithm was used to identify groups of car drivers in relation to the DRB: driving without a seat belt (SB), exceeding the speed limit (SPD), using a cell phone while driving (CELL), and driving after drinking alcohol (DUI). The algorithm classified drivers within five different DRB profiles. In cluster 1 (20.1%), subjects with a history of CELL. In cluster 2 (41.4%), drivers presented no DRB. In cluster 3 (9.3%), all drivers presented SPD. In cluster 4 (12.5%), drivers presented all DRB. In cluster 5 (16.6%), all drivers presented DUI. Clusters with DUI-related offenses (4 and 5) comprised more men (81.9 and 78.8%, respectively) than the overall sample (63.4%), with more binge drinking (50.9 and 45.7%) and drug use in the previous year (13.5 and 8.6%). Cluster 1 had a high years of education (14.4 ± 3.4) and the highest personal income (Md = 3000 IQR [2000-5000]). Cluster 2 had older drivers (46.6 ± 15), and fewer bingers (10.9%). Cluster 4 had the youngest drivers (34.4 ± 11.4) of all groups. Besides reinforcing previous literature data, our study identified five unprecedented clusters with different profiles of drivers regarding DRB. We identified an original and heterogeneous group of drivers with only CELL misuse, as well as other significant differences among clusters. Hence, our findings show that targeted interventions must be developed for each subgroup in order to effectively produce safe behavior in traffic.

Participation in Drinking Games and Predrinking Among University Students in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

AIMS

The limited existing research on drinking games and predrinking among university students in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand suggests that participation in these risky drinking practices is relatively widespread among this population. Drinking norms and alcohol use can vary across countries and in different regions of the globe. The measurement of drinking games and predrinking participation between studies also differs, making cross-country comparisons difficult. The present study explored differences in past month participation in drinking games and predrinking among university students from a large public university in Argentina, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

METHODS

The data analytic sample consisted of 1134 university students (ages 18-25, Mage = 20.2 years; 72.6% women) from Argentina (n = 349), Australia (n = 280), Canada (n = 262), and New Zealand (n = 243) who reported weekly alcohol consumption. Students completed a confidential survey on drinking attitudes and behaviors.

RESULTS

Controlling for age, gender, and weekly drink consumption, there were no cross-country differences in past month participation in predrinking. In contrast, university students from Canada and New Zealand were more likely to have played a drinking game in the past month than students from Australia and Argentina.

CONCLUSIONS

The present finding suggest that university students from Argentina, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand are equally likely to participate in predrinking regardless of country; however, the likelihood of playing drinking games differs as a function of country site.