Peer approval was a stronger predictor of driving after using alcohol and cannabis together than seeing others do it
Among nearly 2,000 young adults in Washington State, perceived peer approval of driving after combined alcohol and cannabis use predicted DUI behavior more strongly than simply believing peers did it.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
DUI after simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use (DUI-SAM) was reported by 2.7% and riding with an impaired driver (RWI-SAM) by 5.3%. Nearly half of participants overestimated how often peers drove impaired. After controlling for frequency of use and descriptive norms, perceived peer approval (injunctive norms) was significantly associated with all DUI and RWI behaviors.
Key Numbers
1,941 participants; 2.7% DUI-SAM; 5.3% RWI-SAM; 49.8% believed average young adult drove after SAM use at least monthly; 68.8% called DUI-SAM totally unacceptable; injunctive norms significantly predicted all DUI/RWI behaviors
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey of 1,941 young adults (ages 18-25) from the 2019 cohort of the Washington Young Adult Health Survey. Logistic regression models assessed associations between descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and past-month DUI/RWI behaviors with post-stratification weighting.
Why This Research Matters
Identifying that peer approval matters more than perceived prevalence for driving under combined substances points to a specific, actionable target for prevention campaigns.
The Bigger Picture
Prevention efforts often focus on correcting misperceptions about how common a behavior is. This study suggests that for impaired driving after combined substance use, changing perceived approval may be more effective.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causality; self-reported DUI likely underestimated; single state sample; 2019 data predates pandemic; cannot distinguish between types of cannabis products used
Questions This Raises
- ?Would social norms campaigns specifically targeting approval of SAM-impaired driving reduce these behaviors?
- ?Do injunctive norms operate differently for single-substance versus polysubstance impaired driving?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 49.8% overestimated peer SAM-impaired driving
- Evidence Grade:
- Large statewide survey with appropriate statistical methods, but cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
- Study Age:
- 2024 publication with 2019 survey data
- Original Title:
- Young adult impaired driving behaviors and perceived norms of driving under the influence of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use.
- Published In:
- Alcohol, clinical & experimental research, 48(12), 2319-2330 (2024)
- Authors:
- Hultgren, Brittney A(5), Delawalla, Miranda L M(2), Szydlowski, Victoria, Guttmannova, Katarina, Cadigan, Jennifer M, Kilmer, Jason R, Lee, Christine M, Larimer, Mary E
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05389
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What matters more for preventing impaired driving: what people think peers do or what they think peers approve of?
This study found that perceived peer approval (injunctive norms) was a stronger predictor of driving after combined alcohol and cannabis use than beliefs about how often peers did it (descriptive norms). This suggests prevention campaigns should focus on communicating that most young adults find this behavior unacceptable.
How common were misperceptions about peer DUI?
Nearly half (49.8%) of young adults believed the average person their age drove after using alcohol and cannabis together at least once a month. In reality, only 2.7% reported doing so, revealing a large gap between perceived and actual behavior.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05389APA
Hultgren, Brittney A; Delawalla, Miranda L M; Szydlowski, Victoria; Guttmannova, Katarina; Cadigan, Jennifer M; Kilmer, Jason R; Lee, Christine M; Larimer, Mary E. (2024). Young adult impaired driving behaviors and perceived norms of driving under the influence of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use.. Alcohol, clinical & experimental research, 48(12), 2319-2330. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15459
MLA
Hultgren, Brittney A, et al. "Young adult impaired driving behaviors and perceived norms of driving under the influence of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use.." Alcohol, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15459
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Young adult impaired driving behaviors and perceived norms o..." RTHC-05389. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/hultgren-2024-young-adult-impaired-driving
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.