Associations of High School Drinking with Later High-Risk Drinking and Driving

Young drivers are increasingly involved in fatal crashes, coinciding with growing concerns about binge drinking. Researchers examined the associations of 12th-grade binge drinking with driving while impaired (DWI), riding with an impaired driver (RWI), blackouts, extreme binge drinking (≥15 drinks on single occasion), and risky driving during the 4 years after high school. Data were from 2785 U.S. adolescents participating in a nationally representative longitudinal study that included seven annual survey waves and started in 10th grade (2009–2010).

Binge drinking in 12th grade was associated with increased odds of DWI (adjusted odds ratios, 3–6), RWI (aORs, 3–4), blackouts, (aORs, 3–4) and more frequent risky driving (aORs, approximately 3)…