Car Crash Deaths Involving Cannabis on the Rise
Between 2000 and 2018, car crash deaths involving cannabis doubled in the US. A study in the American Journal of Public Health reveals a concerning trend of increased fatalities when cannabis and alcohol are combined while driving. The research funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism stresses the importance of enhancing testing methods for cannabis and addressing impaired driving issues comprehensively.
Read original article
Between 2000 and 2018, the percentage of car crash deaths in the United States involving cannabis doubled, with an even higher increase in deaths involving both cannabis and alcohol, according to a study by researchers from various institutions. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, highlights that as cannabis policies have become more lenient, cannabis and alcohol are increasingly being used together while driving. This trend contradicts the idea that liberalizing cannabis policies could reduce alcohol use. The study suggests that cannabis involvement in car crashes may be undermining efforts to reduce alcohol-impaired driving deaths. The research, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, analyzed 19 years of data and found that cannabis-involved crashes are more likely to result in the deaths of passengers and individuals under 35. The study emphasizes the need for improved testing methods for cannabis and continued efforts to reduce deaths from impaired driving involving alcohol, cannabis, and other substances.
Related
Autonomous vehicles are great at driving straight
Autonomous vehicles excel in straight driving, with lower accident risks than human-driven vehicles. However, a study in Nature found AVs struggle in turns and dawn/dusk conditions, emphasizing the need for improved algorithms and sensors.
Traffic engineers build roads relying on outdated research, faulty data
Traffic engineers face criticism for road designs contributing to increased crashes. Larger vehicles heighten risks for pedestrians and cyclists. Experts urge reevaluation of crash data to address systemic issues and promote safer transportation systems.
The Chinese-funded and staffed marijuana farms springing up across the US
Chinese migrants are working on U.S. marijuana farms, facing exploitation and legal violations. NPR found Chinese-funded farms in New Mexico with trafficked workers. Chinese involvement in the U.S. cannabis market raises concerns.
The Limited Value of Multivitamin Supplements
A study in JAMA Network Open found multivitamin supplements did not reduce mortality risk and could increase it by 4%. Obtaining vitamins from food is preferred, with some exceptions for specific health conditions.
Multivitamin does not improve longevity
The study on multivitamin use and mortality risk involved 390,000+ participants. Proportional hazards assumption violation led to stratified analysis, emphasizing the complexity of associations and the call for additional research.
11 commentsMost cannabis tests do not distinguish between any past use and acute intoxication, and implementing standardized thresholds is challenging due to tolerance from regular use.
Are we seeing a spike in traffic fatalities? Are roads getting less safe? Because without some reason to chase the numbers, we're just left with "people in car accidents did legal things before getting in those accidents." Like... Did you know accidents involving cellphones went up after the invention of the cellphone? And good thing we finally ended the reign of terror that is accidents involving tape-deck / audio jack converters thanks to Bluetooth...
(ETA): The trend in accidents over the past decade has been mostly flat, with a bit of a spike as of late. Hard to disambiguate the cause of that spike between other causes and "After COVID we dumped a lot of people back onto the road who hadn't been driving for a year or two." https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/yearl...
I assume a higher percent of people have access to and are using cannabis during over same time period, lowering the scale of the effect
I was a proponent for cannabis legalization several years ago.. but seeing it in action, not so sure anymore. And I don’t even live in a state where it’s legal. But seems like half the work force is stoned now. Doesn’t bother me if you want to get high at home. But shouldn’t be high in public if it’s going to inconvenience others or put others at risk.
Related
Autonomous vehicles are great at driving straight
Autonomous vehicles excel in straight driving, with lower accident risks than human-driven vehicles. However, a study in Nature found AVs struggle in turns and dawn/dusk conditions, emphasizing the need for improved algorithms and sensors.
Traffic engineers build roads relying on outdated research, faulty data
Traffic engineers face criticism for road designs contributing to increased crashes. Larger vehicles heighten risks for pedestrians and cyclists. Experts urge reevaluation of crash data to address systemic issues and promote safer transportation systems.
The Chinese-funded and staffed marijuana farms springing up across the US
Chinese migrants are working on U.S. marijuana farms, facing exploitation and legal violations. NPR found Chinese-funded farms in New Mexico with trafficked workers. Chinese involvement in the U.S. cannabis market raises concerns.
The Limited Value of Multivitamin Supplements
A study in JAMA Network Open found multivitamin supplements did not reduce mortality risk and could increase it by 4%. Obtaining vitamins from food is preferred, with some exceptions for specific health conditions.
Multivitamin does not improve longevity
The study on multivitamin use and mortality risk involved 390,000+ participants. Proportional hazards assumption violation led to stratified analysis, emphasizing the complexity of associations and the call for additional research.