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Uki Atkinson, senior director of research programme development at the National Council on Drug Abuse
By Racquel Porter
The National Council on Drug Abuse has expressed concern about an increase in the number of motorists driving under the influence.
The concern follows the 2023 National Drug Prevalence Survey, which revealed a three per cent increase compared with seven years ago.
The survey, which was interviewer-administered over the course of eight months, engaged 4,991 participants islandwide.
Speaking with Radio Jamaica News on Tuesday, senior director of research programme development at the National Council on Drug Abuse, Uki Atkinson, said the data is worrying.
"This has increased since 2016... from 14.4 per cent to approximately 18 per cent, and then 10 per cent of our drivers have reported driving under the influence of other drugs, which include ganja and other illegal substances," she noted.
Of the 18 per cent of respondents who admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol last year, there were significantly more men, with 23 per cent of males compared to 5 per cent of females.
The practice of driving under influence was also highest among males in the 25 to 34 age group.
"This kind of data really gives us hard evidence to be able to tailor our interventions, tailor our messaging, tailor our services towards particular pockets and socio-demographic profiles of our population who need services most," Mrs. Atkinson pointed out.
In the meantime, statistics from the Road Safety Unit indicate that 425 people were killed in 384 fatal crashes last year.
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