Prevalence and correlates of driving under the influence of stimulants: Evidence from a national sample

Background: Several million Americans use illicit stimulants every month and national data suggest stimulant use is increasing. However, little evidence exists that examines the prevalence and correlates of driving under the influence of stimulants (DUIS). The present study aimed to provide new evidence on the prevalence of DUIS in the U.S. adult population.Methods: This study examined data from 170,944 adults 18 and older in the 2016-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Using Stata and R, we estimated the prevalence and key correlates of DUIS among adults in the United States.Results: The overall prevalence of DUIS was 0.7% among adults in general and 28.3% among past-year stimulant users. Among the full adult sample, the prevalence of DUI cocaine was 0.5% and the prevalence of DUI meth-amphetamine was 0.3%. More than one in five (21.6%) adults with past year cocaine use reported DUI of cocaine, while nearly one half (47.2%) of adults with past year methamphetamine use reported DUI of meth-amphetamine. There is also a substantially higher likelihood of driving under the influence of stimulants among individuals reporting early onset of use and among those meeting criteria for cocaine/methamphetamine use disorders. Among adults who used cocaine/methamphetamine, those who reported driving under the influence of stimulants were more than 2 times more likely to experience a depressive episode or psychological distress.Conclusion: Findings suggest that prevention/treatment approaches focused on multiple substances as well as mental health needs may be most appropriate for addressing the challenge of DUIS.

Automated summary

The study analyzed data from 170,944 adults aged 18 and older in the 2016-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. It found that the overall prevalence of DUIS was 0.7% among adults in general and 28.3% among past-year stimulant users.