Risk of motor vehicle accidents raised by acute marijuana use.

A British meta-analysis of nine oberservational studies involving more than 49,000 participants revealed that driving under the influence of cannabis (marijuana) nearly doubles the risk of motor vehicle accidents compared to unimpaired driving. Acute cannabis consumption was determined by toxicologic analysis of whole blood or by self-reporting.

PositiveTip: Driving while under the influence of any mind-numbing substance--including marijuana--substantially raises the risk of accidents.

Sleepy docs experience 2X more lapses of attention than when rested.

Do you perform at your best when you are sleep deprived? None of us do, including our healthcare providers, according to a sentinel event alert from the Joint Commission. When residents work recurring 24 hours shifts, there were 36% more adverse events than when they worked only 16 hours at a time. They also made five times the number of significant diagnostic mistakes. 

PositiveTip: Adequate sleep is necessary for optimal performance. No one can claim an exception!

Inadequate sleep has serious risks for teens and young adults.

Teens and young adults who don't get adequate sleep are at higher risk for automobile crashes, poor grades and performance in school, depressed moods, and problems with peer and adult relationships.

PositiveTip: Take sleep seriously, set regular times for going to sleep and waking up, and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.