title: Drinking behaviors in young adults: the potential role of designated driver and safe ride home programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the drinking and driving habits reported in people aged 21-34 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random digit dialing survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seattle and Spokane, Washington; Portland, Oregon.
  
  
  METHODS
  917 individuals aged 21-34 years, who had a valid driver's license, who had consumed at least one alcoholic drink in the last year and who lived in Seattle, Spokane or Portland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Driving after drinking, use of a designated driver and serving as a designated driver.
  
  
  RESULTS
  62% drank alcohol at least weekly, and 31% binged at least once per month in the last year. 21% drove after drinking too much in the last month. Two-thirds of individuals reported being a designated driver at least once in the last year, and in most instances, this had been decided before the group went out for the evening. Over three-quarters of individuals reported that they drank less than they usually do the last time they were a designated driver. When using a designated driver, almost half of the individuals reported drinking more on that occasion than usual, with approximately half of those having at least three more drinks than usual.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results point to the need for interventions to combat the problem of drunk driving and prevent its associated morbidity and mortality. Rigorous evaluation of the effect of designated driver and safe ride home programs are needed.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington DC, USA. fpr@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Frederick P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Rivara
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Relyea-Chew
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Suzette
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: Deanne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boisvert
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gomez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009922:Oregon; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012449:Safety; D040241:Social Marketing; D014861:Washington