title: Drink driving in Hong Kong: the competing effects of random breath testing and alcohol tax reductions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the competing effects of increased anti-drink driving legislation and the recent elimination of excise taxes on wine and beer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serial cross-sectional telephone surveys were conducted in 2006 (n = 9860) and 2011 (n = 4800).
  
  
  METHODS
  Hong Kong, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chinese adults (≥18 years of age).
  
  
  METHODS
  Respondents were asked about their drinking patterns, past-year experience of driving within 2 hours of drinking, drinking-related attitudes and reported deterrents to drink driving.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following the legislative changes, the age-standardized past-year prevalence of drink driving decreased significantly from 5.2 to 2.8% (P < 0.001) among all males, from 9.0 to 4.4% (P < 0.001) among male past-year drinkers and from 13.7 to 8.5% (P < 0.01) among male weekly drinkers. The past-year prevalence of drink driving in 2011 among all females (0.08%), female past-year drinkers (1.6%), male binge drinkers (12.5%), female weekly drinkers (4.7%) and female binge drinkers (7.9%) were not significantly different from 2006. Drink driving was associated independently with business sector employment [odds ratio (OR) = 2.47], past-month binge drinking (OR = 6.08) and beliefs in the benefits to one's wellbeing of drinking (OR = 2.62) among males and past-month binge drinking (OR = 5.57), belief in the social benefits of drinking (OR = 5.66) and being unmarried (OR = 3.00) in females (P < 0.05). The most commonly reported drink driving deterrents were concerns about random breath tests (93.8%) and the potential legal consequences of conviction (93.6-96.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite greater alcohol consumption in Hong Kong, the current anti-drink driving strategy appears to reduce drink driving in males and prevent increased levels among females. Binge drinkers, however, remain a high-risk group that should be monitored continually.
authors: The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, , The Chinese University of Hong Kong, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR.
authors: Jean H
authors: JH
authors: Kim
authors: Alvin H
authors: AH
authors: Wong
authors: William B
authors: WB
authors: Goggins
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Lau
authors: Sian M
authors: SM
authors: Griffiths
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000191:economics; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001944:Breath Tests; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013660:Taxes / Q000191:economics; D055815:Young Adult