This December, Celebrate National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month

Driving after drinking alcohol or using illicit drugs is a serious concern, especially around the holiday season, when many people attend parties where alcohol and drugs may be readily available.

In 2002, approximately 1 in 7 (or 33.5 million) Americans drove after using alcohol or illicit drugs at least once in the previous 12 months, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Additionally, NSDUH found that about 11 million Americans drove while under the influence of an illicit drug during the previous 12 months.

The only way to guarantee that you are driving safely is to avoid alcohol and illicit drugs completely. Even one drink can slow reflexes and make you sluggish as it alters your blood alcohol concentration.

Factors such as gender, body weight, rate of alcohol consumption, alcohol tolerance, and amount of sleep cause each person to react to alcohol differently. To ensure you are safe while behind the wheel of a car, you should not have had a single drink.

Don’t be a statistic this holiday season or throughout the year. When you attend parties, designate a driver, who will abstain from alcoholic drinks so that he or she can safely drive impaired persons home. Better yet, avoid drinking yourself. Sober ride programs are another option available in many communities during the holidays. These programs offer safe rides home to people who have consumed too much alcohol.

December has been designated National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month (3D Month) in the hopes of raising awareness of the risks associated with driving after drinking or using drugs. For ideas of what your community can do to combat impaired driving, and for a downloadable program planner, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

Contact SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) for more information about preventing impaired driving and alcohol and drug abuse in your community. SAMHSA’s NCADI can be reached on the Internet at http://ncadi.samhsa.gov or by phone at 1-800-729-6686.