Dangers of drugged driving focus of MADD conference

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawaii is turning its attention to the problem of drugged driving among youth from 16 to their 20s.

On Thursday the organization will bring national speakers, Hawaii experts and young people together to share their perspectives on the problem at a conference: “Drugs and Driving — A Call to Action.”

“The whole reason for the conference and the continuing work that we want to do is to make the community aware, especially with the part of the community that associates with this age group — parents, professors, coaches, even employers,” said Carol McNamee, who has been with MADD for 36 years.

“Unlike alcohol, drugs are not simple; it is a complicated and complex issue,” she said.

McNamee, the founder of MADD Hawaii, said she brought up the problem of drugs and driving while serving as the national board’s public safety chairwoman.

“A few years ago MADD at the national level did amend its mission to help include the fight against drugged driving,” she said. “It became official, but I still didn’t see too much on the issue.”

Then in early 2016, Hawaii statistics began to concern MADD because alcohol-related highway fatalities were going down, but drug-related deaths were going up, McNamee said.

“We looked at the statistics a little more deeply, and young drivers were overinvolved,” she said, and MADD wrote and received grant money to start educating the community about youth and young adults into their 20s.

Madd has teamed up with The Queen’s Health Systems, and the state Health and Transportation departments to hold a one-day, free conference for the public from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Queen’s Conference Center at 1301 Punchbowl St.

Hawaii youths use marijuana, THC, some methamphetamine — which is a little more prevalent among 20-somethings up to 40 — cocaine, ecstasy and probably some synthetic drugs, according to McNamee.

“All of these can have an impact on driving,” McNamee said.

She also said that “vaping of many drugs is a serious problem,” and “almost anything can be somehow put in a form that can be vaped.”

A Colorado police officer who speaks around the country and a Washington state researcher, both from states where marijuana is legal, an epidemiologist and drug recognition experts from Hawaii are among the guest speakers.