Figure 1. Percentages of Persons Aged 12 or Older Reporting Driving Under the Influence of Illegal Drugs During the Past Year, by Detailed Age Categories: 2001	Figure 2. Percentages of Persons Aged 18 to 34 Reporting Driving Under the Influence of Illegal Drugs, by Detailed Age Categories: 2000 and 2001

Demographic Variations in Drugged Driving In 2001, rates of drugged driving generally followed the same patterns as rates of overall current illicit drug use. The rate of drugged driving increased with each year of age to 16 percent among 19 year olds and generally decreased with increasing age among those aged 20 or older (Figure 1).1 Rates of drugged driving increased from 2000 to 2001 for most ages from 18 years to 34 years of age (Figure 2). In 2001, males (5 percent) were more than twice as likely as females (2 percent) to report driving under the influence of illegal drugs.1 The 2001 rate of drugged driving among males was an increase from 4 percent in 2000. In 2001, the rate of drugged driving was higher among white persons than among Hispanic, black, or Asian persons (Figure 3). The 2001 rate of drugged driving among white persons (4 percent) increased from 3 percent in 2000.

Employment Status and Drugged Driving Among adults aged 18 or older, those who were unemployed or classified as full- or part-time students were the most likely to report driving under the influence of illegal drugs in the past year, followed by part-time workers and full-time workers (Figure 4). Drugged driving rates were lowest among persons not in the labor force, such as retired or disabled persons, and homemakers.

Figure 3. Percentages of Persons Aged 12 or Older Reporting Driving Under the Influence of Illegal Drugs During the Past Year, by Race/Ethnicity: 2001	Figure 4. Percentages of Adults Aged 18 or Older Reporting Driving Under the Influence of Illegal Drugs During the Past Year, by Current Employment Status: 2001

End Note This pattern of drugged driving parallels the pattern of abuse of or dependence on alcohol or illicit drugs. For more information about abuse and dependence in the NHSDA, see: J. Epstein. (2002). Substance abuse, dependence, abuse, and treatment: Data from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA Series: H-16, DHHS Report No. SMA 02-3642). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Figure Notes * Small sample sizes prevented analyses of 12 year olds and of persons aged 65 or older. ** Difference between 2000 estimate and 2001 estimate is statistically significant at the 0.05 level. *** Those persons who were not classified as part of the labor force (full-time, part-time, or unemployed) and answered yes to being a full- or part-time student were classified as student. **** Retired, disabled, homemaker, or "other." Source (all figures): SAMHSA, 2000 and 2001 NHSDAs.

The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) is an annual survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 2001 data are based on information obtained from 69,000 aged 12 or older. The survey collects data by administering questionnaires to a representative sample of the population through face-to-face interviews at their place of residence. The NHSDA Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, and by RTI in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Information and data for this issue are based on the following publication and statistics: Office of Applied Studies. (2002). Results from the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Volume I. Summary of national findings (NHSDA Series H-17, DHHS Publication No. SMA 02-3758). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Also available on-line: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh.htm. Additional tables available on request.

The NHSDA Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this fact sheet may be downloaded from Other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are also available on-line on the OAS home page: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov

This page was last updated on December 31, 2008.