Drug and Alcohol Use Among Drivers Admitted to a Level-2 Trauma Center

This research tried to determine the incidence and prevalence of drug use, alcohol use, and the combination of drug and alcohol use among traffic accident victims. The study was conducted at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center (STC) of the University of Maryland in 2002 that was conducting a drug test on the majority of patients admitted. During the 6-month study period, nearly 2/3 of the trauma center admissions were victims of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). After documenting the prevalence of drug use among the MVC admissions at the STC, a follow up protocol was developed to replicate the study, but at this time included were provisions to differentiate between drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. The data obtained demonstrate the drug and alcohol use among MVC victims is common; passenger drug and alcohol use is roughly equivalent with that of the driver population; and injured pedestrians tend to have higher rates of alcohol only, and lower rates of drug plus alcohol than other MVC victims.