40% of Oz youngsters take drugs before driving

An alarmingly high number of young motorists in New South Wales in Australia have admitted to taking drugs before getting behind the wheels, says a report.

Sydney, Dec 31 : An alarmingly high number of young motorists in New South Wales in Australia have admitted to taking drugs before getting behind the wheels, says a report.

The survey, conducted by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), revealed that almost 40 per cent confessed to taking ecstasy before driving.

Those surveyed had an average age of 23 and included 18-year-old drivers.

It also found 72 percent of young people admitting to being passengers in a car while knowing the driver was drug-affected.

Another 30 per cent admitted they had driven after snorting methamphetamines and one in five said they had taken cocaine or ice before getting into the driver's seat.

Astonishingly, most people admitted to driving just two hours after taking ecstasy and less than an hour after taking ice, cocaine or speed.

Drug expert Paul Dillon said that the report gives a clearer understanding of a culture that exists in the society and the people involved who are not only putting themselves at risk, but also other people on the road.

"This report gives us a clearer understanding of a culture that exists in our society and the people involved who are not only putting themselves at risk, but also other people on the road," the Daily Telegraph quoted Dillon, as saying.

"On the most part, young people are fully aware of the risks and legal ramifications of drinking and driving but when it comes to illicit drugs there seems to be more confusion," he added.

ANI