Assessing alcohol problems in female DWI offenders

Alcohol Problems and Blood Alcohol Concentration among Swedish Drivers Suspected of Driving under the Influence

The purpose of the study was to map alcohol problems in relation to blood alcohol concentration in a large representative sample of male and female Swedish drivers suspected of drunk driving. Twenty-one hundred suspected DUI offenders (drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol) were assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Information from the police regarding BAC, age, gender, and place and time of the stop was also collected. More than half (58%) of the suspected DUI offenders had alcohol problems, and among these 24% had high levels of alcohol problems. Of specific interest was the observation that almost half (46%) of the suspects with a BAC below the Swedish legal limit of 0.02% had alcohol problems, a prevalence that did not increase until a BAC of 0.10%–0.15%. It can be concluded that the mere suspicion of drunk driving indicates alcohol problems.

Personality traits and mental health of severe drunk drivers in Sweden

The present study was intended to investigate personality characteristics and mental health of severe driving under influence (DUI) offenders in a Swedish cohort. More specifically the aim was to investigate the personality traits as assessed by The NEO personality inventory (NEO-PI-R) and aspects of mental health as assessed by the symptom checklist (SCL-90) as compared to the general population. The subjects were 162 severe DUI offenders (with the BAC >0.099%) with an age range of 18-88 years, 143 males and 19 females. It was found that the openness to experience and conscientiousness scales of NEO-PI-R differentiated Swedish DUI offenders from Swedish norm population. The differences between the DUI group and the general population on the on SCL-90 scales were all significant except on the Hostility scale. Two main subtypes of DUI offenders identified were roughly comparable to types I and II alcoholics, as in Cloninger's typology. Among all the scales used (personality traits, psychiatric comorbidity and alcohol use), the only factor that was predictive for future relapses to drunk driving was the factor of depression.

Alcohol problems among Swedish drunk drivers: differences related to mode of detection and geographical region

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of alcohol problems in a representative sample of Swedish drivers suspected of drunk driving in comparison with control drivers and the general Swedish population in relation to mode and time of detection. Is the time of day or night or the detection mode important for the prevalence of alcohol problems and which are the best predictors for identifying alcohol problems among DUI offenders?

METHODS

Two thousand and one hundred drivers (169 females) suspected of DUI offence during 1997-2001 who agreed to respond to the AUDIT questionnaire (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and 785 control drivers (266 females) not suspected of DUI recruited at general traffic controls were investigated.

RESULTS

Both mode and time of detection were found to be important. The greatest impact on the prevalence of alcohol problems emanated from the predictors in the following order: high BAC; unlicensed driving; detection hours between 12.00 and 18.00, and age under 26 years. Age over 55 years and detection in general traffic controls were the two strongest factors negatively correlated to alcohol problems prevalence. The differences between regions with regard to alcohol problems incidence could only partly be explained by police routines and resources.

CONCLUSIONS

Mode and time of detection affect the prevalence of DUI offenders with alcohol problems, and to a lesser degree also BAC level. Both the detection mode and the time of detection are significant for the proportion of identified DUIs with alcohol problems. Because the majority of committed DUI offenses are never identified, it is important to optimize the detection strategies of the police with the purpose of minimizing public damage and expenses.

Victim impact panels: who is sentenced to attend? Does attendance affect recidivism of first-time DWI offenders?

BACKGROUND

Victim Impact Panels (VIPs) have been implemented widely in the United States by judges as a deterrent to drinking and driving, but there is little evidence of their utility in preventing recidivism.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study were to examine judges' referral patterns to the VIPs among a multiethnic population of convicted first-time driving while impaired (DWI) offenders and to compare 5-year recidivism rates of those mandated and not mandated to attend the VIP.

METHODS

Study participants included 5,238 convicted first-time DWI offenders who were referred to a screening program in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and who completed a personal interview with a master's-level counselor between April 1989 and October 1995. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate judges' preferences in mandating offenders to attend a VIP. The percent of subjects reoffending in the 5 years following their referral for screening was calculated by standard life-table analyses. Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to test the effects of known independent predictors for recidivism. Separate models were developed for the entire population, non-Hispanic offenders, and Hispanic/Mexican national subgroups.

RESULTS

Female judges who regularly adjudicated DWI offenders were more likely to refer offenders to a VIP. Judges were less likely to refer men and offenders with less than 12 years of education and an unknown arrest blood alcohol concentration (BAC), and of Hispanic/Mexican national or other race/ ethnicity. Judges were more likely to refer unmarried offenders to a VIP. After controlling for multiple risk factors, referral to VIP was not a strong predictor of recidivism in Hispanic and non-Hispanic ethnic groups, with 95% confidence limits ranging from 0.8 to 1.0, compared to those not referred.

CONCLUSIONS

Female judges were more likely than male judges to refer offenders to a VIP, and referral patterns varied by offender characteristics. The VIP referral did not increase rearrest rates but lowered them marginally to not at all. This study should be followed up with a randomized design to control for referral patterns and to further define the impact of mandating offenders to the VIP.