Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117054

Norman A. Giesbrecht, PhD¹, Linda C. Degutis, DrPH², Gina Stoduto, MA³, and Helen Sayward, MA². (1) Public Health & Regulatory Policy Section, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada, (2) Section of Emergency Medicine, Yale University, 464 Congress Ave, Suite 260, New Haven, CT 06519, (3) Social, Prevention & Health Policy Research Department, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada, 416 535-8501 ext. 6895, gina_stoduto@camh.net

Background: Despite multifaceted efforts to control drinking and driving, thousands of alcohol-related crashes occur each year. Purpose: To evaluate public views on drinking driving risks and effective interventions, and identify trends by gender, age, and drinking patterns. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of several population surveys of adults including: US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, US National Health Interview Survey, Canadian National Survey of Drinking and Driving (Ns: 10,000 to 150,000). We examined: drinking and driving, perceived risks, safe drinking levels, interventions and law enforcement, and views on alcohol policies. Results: There was a decline from the late 1980s in the proportion reporting driving within two hours of having a drink. In one survey 11% indicated driving in the past year while over the legal limit. The proportions indicating no perceived impairment with 4 drinks in two hours declined between 1988 and 1997. Interventions judged effective ranged from lower legal BAC limits, greater liability for licensed premises which over-serve, support for alcohol ignition interlocks, to lifetime suspensions or longer jail time for repeat offenders. Conclusion: While promising prevention-oriented trends are emerging among the North American public, it appears that many respondents underestimate the number of drinks that put them above legal BAC limits. There is support for some interventions with demonstrated broad impact, but ambivalence about other promising measures. Future prevention-oriented public campaigns need to concentrate on increasing public awareness of risks of even moderate impairment, the implications of risk-taking and detection, and fostering support for evidence-based effective interventions.

Learning Objectives:

• To describe public perceptions of drinking and driving and which policies have more support
• To discuss the characteristics of the population that supports these policies (e.g., variations by age, gender, drinking pattern)
• To describe how support for DWI interventions compares to that for other alcohol policy measures.

Keywords: Alcohol, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.