Alcoholic beverage choice, risk perception and self-reported drunk driving: effects of measurement on risk analysis

The second part of this review describes the principles and practice of forensic congener analysis as an alternative way to evaluate claims of drinking alcohol after driving. Congener analysis was developed, perfected and practised in Germany as a way to evaluate hip-flask defences. This kind of defence challenge arises frequently when the drunk driving suspect is not apprehended at the wheel and especially after hit-and-run incidents. Besides ethanol and water, alcoholic beverages contain trace amounts of many other low-molecular substances, known collectively as the congeners, which impart the characteristic smell and taste to the drink. Importantly, the congener profile can be used to identify a particular kind of alcoholic beverage. Forensic congener analysis entails making a qualitative and quantitative analysis of ethanol, methanol, n-propanol and the isomers of butanol in blood and urine from the apprehended driver and comparing the results with the known congener profile of the alcoholic beverage allegedly consumed after driving. Interpreting the results of congener analysis requires knowledge about the absorption, distribution and elimination pattern of the congener alcohols, including their oxidation and conjugation reactions, and any metabolic interactions with ethanol. Complications arise if drinks with widely different congener profiles are consumed or if the same beverage was ingested both before and after driving. Despite these limitations, congener analysis can furnish compelling evidence to challenge or support claims of drinking alcohol after driving.

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Evaluation of a Local Designated Driver and Responsible Server Program to Prevent Drinking and Driving

Journal of Drug Education ◽

10.2190/2rja-22y1-r15t-ulm8 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 321-333 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Bruce G. Simons-Morton ◽

Sharon Snider Cummings

Keyword(s):

Alcoholic Beverage ◽

Drunk Driving ◽

Drinking And Driving ◽

Training Course ◽

Point Of Purchase ◽

Training Courses ◽

The Impact ◽

Designated Driver

Point of purchase interventions by beverage alcohol servers provide one promising approach to preventing drinking and driving and many communities now support such programs. To evaluate the impact of a designated driver and responsible server program in Houston, we assessed server training courses, observed and interviewed servers and patrons at five establishments participating in the program, and reviewed the distribution of vouchers awarded for a safe ride home by taxi. The training course for alcoholic beverage servers produced significant improvements in the participants' perceptions about their role in preventing drunk driving. In five participating establishments 15.6 percent of servers wore buttons announcing the establishment's participation in the program; immediately after retraining 26.6 percent wore the buttons. Of the eligible patrons in these establishments 6.6 percent actually participated in the designated driver program. The program provided an average of 0.7 safe ride home vouchers per establishment per month. In one additional establishment an experiment was conducted in which servers always announced the designated driver program to patrons, but no increase in the prevalence of designated drivers occurred.

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Risk Analysis of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Risk Perception and Policy Implications

korean policy sciences review ◽

10.31553/kpsr.2018.09.22.3.1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 1-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hong Jae Lee ◽

Yong Jin Cha

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

Risk Analysis ◽

Industrial Revolution ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Fourth Industrial Revolution

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Alcoholic Beverage and Traffic Accidents: Impact of the Drunk-Driving Law in Severity and Mortality of Victims

Panamerican Journal of Trauma, Critical Care & Emergency Surgery ◽

10.5005/jp-journals-10030-1167 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 17-24

Author(s):

Lilia de S Nogueira ◽

Cristiane de A Domingues ◽

Ane KS Bonfim

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Traffic Accidents ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Alcoholic Beverage ◽

Drunk Driving ◽

Body Regions ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Before And After ◽

The Law ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT Objectives To analyze the impact of the Drunk-Driving Law on the characteristics and severity of traffic accident victims and to identify risk factors for mortality before and after law enforcement. Materials and methods A retrospective, quantitative study that analyzed victims of traffic accidents attended at a hospital in São Paulo, Brazil, between 2006 and 2010, through the analysis of medical records. The Drunk-Driving Law was considered the time frame of this research, and the victims were distributed in two groups: Before the law (January 2006 to June 2008) and after the law (July 2008 to December 2010). Pearson chi-square, Mann–Whitney, and multiple logistic regression tests were used, with a significance level of 5%. Results The sample consisted of 1,405 victims, the majority being males (78.01%), with a mean age of 37.39 years. In the group comparison (before and after the Drunk-Driving Law), there was a significant difference related to the external cause, admission to the ICU, and discharge conditions. Factors associated with prelaw mortality were age, number of injured body regions, and New Injury Severity Score. The length of hospital stay and the Revised Trauma Score were considered as protective factors for this outcome. After the validity of the law, in addition to the variables described earlier, the head/neck and abdomen regions most severely injured were added as risk factors for mortality. Conclusion The impact of the Drunk-Driving Law set a positive outcome in the survival of the victims. However, when it comes to the statistics and severity of the trauma, it is necessary to sustain the law with reinforcement of the inspection so that more lives are saved. Clinical significance The results of this study provide support to managers on the importance of sustaining the law and the need of implementing new trauma prevention strategies. How to cite this article Bonfim AKS, Nogueira LS, Domingues CA. Alcoholic Beverage and Traffic Accidents: Impact of the Drunk-Driving Law in Severity and Mortality of Victims. Panam J Trauma Crit Care Emerg Surg 2017;6(1):17-24.

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