An estimated 15.1 percent of drivers in the United States over age 18 have driven under the influence of alcohol at least once in the past year and an estimated 30.5 million people over age 12 have been impaired behind the wheel, according to a first-of-its-kind report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

In some states the rate is even higher, with as many as one in four drivers admitting to driving while under the influence. The rates of impaired driving ranged from 9.5 percent in Utah to 26.4 percent in Wisconsin. Next was North Dakota with 24.9 percent and Minnesota with 23.5 percent.

The report, State Estimates of Adults Driving under the Influence of Alcohol and Illicit Drugs, also shows that nearly one in 20 drivers over 18 drove under the influence of drugs at least once in the past year.

Preventable Menace

"This report highlights the enormous public health risk posed by this problem – one threatening the lives of many Americans every day," said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, PhD, in a news release. "By highlighting the scope and nature of this problem in each state we can help communities best use their efforts and resources to address this preventable menace."

The report is based on data from 127,283 current drivers from the 2004 to 2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and provides state-level estimates for the pervasiveness of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence of illicit drugs.

The full report is available online.

More About Drunk Driving:

• Drunk Driving Email Course
  
• State by State Drunk Driving Laws
  
• The Penalties and Costs of Drunk Driving
  
• Alcohol Evaluation Quiz

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