title: The prevalence of alcohol use disorders among night-time weekend drivers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to establish the extent of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among drivers at risk for alcohol-related crashes. The prevalence of drivers with AUDs on US roads on weekend evenings when alcohol-related crashes are most frequent is unknown. This study will inform laws and programs designed to reduce alcohol-involved crashes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews using a 15-item AUD questionnaire with a stratified random sample of non-commercial drivers at 60 primary sampling locations in the 48 contiguous states on Fridays and Saturdays between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. from July to November 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  Off-road locations into which a police officer directed a random selection of motorist passing the site.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 4614 drivers of non-commercial vehicles.
  
  
  METHODS
  AUDs, including heavy drinking, alcohol abuse, and alcohol dependence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the participating drivers, 73.7% were current drinkers (reported drinking in the last year). Among those drinkers, 14% were classifiable either as dependent drinkers or as abusive drinkers based on self-reports of drinking. Another 10% of the drivers were classified as heavy drinkers. Nearly half of the drivers in the survey who had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or higher than the 0.08 g per deciliter legal limit fell into one of those three AUD categories.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survey data suggest that the majority of high-blood alcohol concentration drivers on US roads show no clinical signs of an alcohol use disorder, but they are categorized as heavy drinkers. This suggests that environmental programs directed at reducing heavy drinking and brief behavioral interventions aimed at reducing episodes of excessive consumption have promise for reducing alcohol-related crashes.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: C Debra
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Furr-Holden
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Voas
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lacey
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003624:Darkness; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol