COMPULSORY TREATMENT OF 50 ALCOHOLIC DRUNKEN DRIVERS. A FOLLOW-UP STUDY

Fifty alcoholic drunken drivers receiving treatment as part of a suspended sentence were studied to assess the efficacy of compulsory treatment. Twenty-six showed improvement in drinking behaviour, 12 did not co-operate and were referred back to court, 7 were re-arrested on further charges of drunken driving and 4 were committed to long-term rehabilitation centres (1 patient died too early to allow for adequate follow-up). The results compare favourably with improvement in alcoholics treated voluntarily. When regarded as their own controls, patients who had previously been arrested for drunken driving but had not been referred for treatment showed considerable improvement in their behaviour, as did patients who had had previous unsuccessful voluntary treatment. This programme appears to be worth while, at least for the duration of the suspended sentence. It also encourages early identification of alcoholics and their referral for treatment.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00382469
• Corporate Authors:

  Medical Association of South Africa

  P.O. Box 643
  Cape Town 8000,   South Africa 
• Authors:
  • Ben-Arie, O
  • George, GCW
  • Hirschowitz, J
• Publication Date: 1983-2-12

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 241-243
• Serial:
  • South African Medical Journal
  • Volume: 63
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: Medical Association of South Africa
  • ISSN: 0256-9574
  • EISSN: 2078-5135
  • Serial URL: http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol use; Alcoholism; Behavior; Drug addiction; Drugs; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Improvements; Prosecution
• Uncontrolled Terms: Mandatory sentencing
• Old TRIS Terms: Behavioral objectives; Detoxification
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00394733
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-037 833
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 30 1985 12:00AM