"Hey, can I borrow the car keys?"

If you're the parent or caregiver of a teen who has reached driving age, you may hear this request more often than you would like. But a recent study might make you stop and think before you hand the keys to your teen driver.

According to data from a Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, about one in six high school seniors in the United States has driven under the influence of marijuana. Further, 41 percent of teens polled by Students Against Destructive Decisions/Liberty Mutual said they were not worried about driving after using illegal drugs. The fact is, marijuana does harm a user's ability to drive safely - as do other illegal drugs, alcohol, and some prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Teen drivers already have the highest crash risk of any age group, and marijuana use can cause more danger for teen drivers, who do not have much experience on the road.

What To Know

Marijuana affects a person's power to focus, coordination, and ability to react. The drug can make it harder for a driver to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road. These effects can last up to 24 hours after using marijuana.

Marijuana also may play a role in auto accidents. In 2001, about 38,000 high school seniors stated that they had an accident while driving under the influence of marijuana.

What To Say

The high rate of marijuana use reported by the MTF study, as well as many teens' lack of concern about marijuana use and driving, means that parents and caring adults must step in. Parents should talk with their teens about the risks and responsibilities that come with having a license before a teen begins driving. This should include a talk about the risks of substance use.

Warn your child about the dangers of using marijuana and the dangers of driving under the influence of the drug. Also, tell him not to get into a car with someone who has been using illegal drugs or who has had even one alcoholic drink. Make sure your child knows to call you (or another trusted adult) if he can't get a safe ride home from a party or other event. Tell him to call even if he has been using substances and agree to pick him up without yelling at him for being in that situation. Later, stress to him that, while you do not support this behavior, his safety is your first concern.

What To Do

Here are some other tips on helping your teen driver stay on the road to a drug-free lifestyle:

Set clear rules of behavior, including rules and limits for driving. For example, set a curfew for when your teen must have the car back home (e.g., before dark), or limit the number of teen riders she can have in the car at one time. And, of course, make a rule about calling you or another trusted adult if your teen can't get a safe ride home.

Follow through with consequences. Let your teen know that he will not be allowed to drive if he breaks the rules, and he may lose his license if he is caught driving under the influence.

Help your teen choose friends wisely. Encourage her to find friends who are drug free and warn her about peers who may try to pressure her to use marijuana or drive under the influence.

Closely monitor your child's time and whereabouts. Car accidents are less likely to occur among teens whose parents watch them closely.

Modeling healthy, drug-free behavior is one of the best ways to ensure that your teen stays under your influence, not marijuana's. For many teens, fear of parents' disapproval is a major reason for choosing not to use drugs. Your child may be growing up, but you still can affect him in positive ways. So use your valuable influence to steer your teen driver in the right direction.

Tags: Substance Abuse and Teens

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SAMHSA works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, alcohol and drug addiction treatment, and mental health services. Includes links to support groups, information resources, events and articles.