Champion Stock Car Driver Races to a Drug-Free Finish Line
Buffalo, New York, native Nate Straus is racing to save lives.
The champion stock car driver is passionate about preventing the senseless, alcohol-related deaths of more than 10,000 people on American highways each year. And marijuana and cocaine, often in combination with alcohol, are responsible for some 18 percent of all motor vehicle-related deaths in America annually.
To demonstrate his commitment to combat drunk and drug-impaired driving, when Straus took the checkered flag in first place on August 29 at the Lancaster National Speedway in New York during the final race of its Saturday Night Stock Car program, he displayed the logo of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World on his racing suit and the hood of his car.
At each of his races this year, Straus autographed copies of The Truth About Drugs booklets for his fans. The booklets present the unvarnished truth about painkillers, prescription drugs, heroin and synthetic drugs—all in the Buffalo-Niagara region.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse further reports that:
- A 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that within that year, some 9.9 million people reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs and 28.7 million operated a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
- A 2010 nationwide survey of fatal crashes reported that 46.5 percent of drivers who tested positive for drugs had used a prescription drug, 36 percent had taken marijuana, and 9.8 percent had ingested cocaine.
- In a 2010 study of driver deaths in six states, 28.3 percent tested positive for drugs.
- Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for those ages 16 to 19.
Straus is one of thousands of partners of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World who uses Truth About Drugs booklets and videos to make a difference.
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