TimesArgus.com - We Are Vermont

Correlation is not cause



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Published: March 3, 2010

I do not want my children (or yours) to be driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, Oxycontin or prescription drugs that may impair driving ability. If people of any age choose to drink alcohol or take mind altering drugs, driving is not a good choice. That said, it is still best to distinguish fact from fiction whenever possible.

In the Feb. 17 Times Argus article "Driver in fatal crash impaired," Burlington Police Chief Michael Shirling relies on a "study" to support the conclusion that the driver's level of THC in a toxicology test was a "factor" in the fatal accident. Maybe so. This "study" was referenced on three occasions in the article, tending to reinforce the impression that it is a scientific fact Taylor McLaughlin's ingestion of marijuana was the most probable cause of his and another man's death (despite the later "we don't know" disclaimer). As my high school physics teacher repeatedly proclaimed, "correlation is not cause."

What study? Where and when was the study published? How well did the control group perform? Who was the primary investigator? What was the source of funding? Is Chief Shirling trained to evaluate the reliability and validity of the study? (I am a behavior scientist by training). Does other research confirm the degree and risk of impairment while driving associated with the reported levels of THC? A brief review of the scientific literature focusing on "impaired driving performance" after smoking marijuana does not reveal any consensus in the scientific community on this complex issue.

It is poor journalism to give such prominence to a scientific "study" without reference to source. I think it hurts the credibility of police to be claiming expertise beyond their knowledge. Smoking marijuana is illegal in the state of Vermont. And every parent prays that common sense will keep their children from driving drunk or high. But the law and common sense should not be confused with science; nor should a bereaved family be burdened with unwarranted conclusions over how this tragic accident happened. The heart rending tragedy of losing a son need not be publicly compounded with perpetuating false presumptions of "reefer madness" by police, journalists, or neighbors believing what they read to be true when it is not.

Daniel J. Anderson

Montpelier



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READER COMMENTS


Melissa B, I never said he was HIGH. I said he had THC in his body and that certainly doesn't disprove that it had something to do with the tragedy.

And yes, being arrested for something does not prove guilt or innocence. I said he'd probably be arrested for DUI but people with good, expensive lawyers sometimes get off with a lesser charge. It happens all the time. We agree, I think.

Oh, and the fact that people are trying so hard to decriminalize (not legalize) pot use will not help those who are found to be under the influence of its mind-altering properties while driving. Alcohol is a legal drug but it's illegal to drive when under the influence of its mind-altering properties. If pot is decriminalized it will still be illegal to drive when under its influence. Right?

That's why I see it as a public service to not act as if pot is the totally innocent plaything many people make it out to be. I'm willing to bet that if alcohol had just been invented and its negative effects were known it would never become legal to use it at all. We'll never know. It was legal, then it was illegal and it had to be made legal again because of the strong calling of people to use it and all the killing that was done to make it available although it was illegal. I hope we never make that mistake with pot.
-- Posted by Jest Askin on Thu, Mar 4, 2010, 2:46 pm EST

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Sorry Jest, but that's pure and complete bs! They are warning the public of something they have no idea whether it was the cause or not, it's sheer speculation, meanwhile making this kid sound like a whacked out criminal with no regard for the public, that's demeaning to his life and to his parents. If it was the cause and they know damn well it was the cause, then and only then, should they have announced it!!! This is utter fear mongering about marajuana at a time when people are rallying to legalize it.

The kid screwed up, something happened, but in no way can any of you point a finger at this child with actual fact he caused the accident because he was HIGH!!! If had life and he was charged he still would have the opportunity to prove his innocence, in death you guys have him guilty of speculation!!!
-- Posted by Melissa B. on Thu, Mar 4, 2010, 1:45 pm EST

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I agree, Olde man. The amount of THC in the driver's body may not indicate the ultimate cause of the accident but his use of a mind-altering drug sometime in the not too-distant past certainly doesn't indicate his innocence either.

I read the newspaper account thinking that THC may or may not have been part of the cause. I don't see how informing the public that he had dangerous drug in his system at the time of his and his victim's death is anything but a public service and a warning that the toking public's claim that pot is just an harmless weed is not so true - certainly not in this case anyway.

n.b. Had he lived, he probably would have been arrested for driving under the influence of MJ, death resulting.
-- Posted by Jest Askin on Wed, Mar 3, 2010, 6:26 pm EST

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You sound like a college professor that has lived in an ivory tower and never been in the real world. No where in the previous article did the Burlington police claim the study was done under lab conditions subject to peer review in bifocals. Here's a quote from Shirling: "Sometimes there isn't a direct piece of information that gives you all the closure." That doesn't sound like he's claiming 100% certainty marijuana was the cause of this crash. It's a possibility, you said it yourself. The kid was doing something stupid, he drove right into another car without trying to avoid it. Suicide? Drugs? Texting? He didn't suffer a massive heart attack. And the real tragedy here Danny Boy is the guy who was in his own lane that got killed by a bad, bad, driver, whatever the cause.
-- Posted by Olde Man on Wed, Mar 3, 2010, 4:11 pm EST

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