A Swedish Alcohol Ignition Interlock Programme for Drink-Drivers: Effects on Hospital Care Utilization and Sick Leave

This article reports on a project undertaken to evaluate health outcomes following an alcohol ignition interlock program (AIIP) for drunk drivers (n = 1,266). The project assessed hospital care utilization and sick-leave register data relative to controls with revoked licenses, but with no comparable opportunity to participate in an AIIP (n = 865). In Sweden, driving while impaired (DWI) offenders can now select voluntarily a 2-year AIIP in lieu of 12 months' license revocation. The AIIP program also includes regular medical check-ups designed to alter alcohol use. The control group showed increased hospital care and sick leave after license revocation following the DWI. In the AIIP group, significantly fewer needed hospital care relative to controls, and relative to their own care utilization before the DWI offence. Also, sick-leave data showed significantly fewer AIIP group individuals using sick leave relative to the control group, and relative to their own pre-treatment period. Among those who complete the entire AIIP, sustained positive health effects are observed 3 and 4 years after the DWI offence. The authors conclude that voluntary participation in an AIIP has beneficial effects with less need for hospital care or sick leave.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09652140
• Authors:
  • Bjerre, Bo
  • Marques, Paul
  • Selen, Jan
  • Thorsson, Ulf
• Publication Date: 2007-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 560-570
• Serial:
  • Addiction
  • Volume: 102
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Blackwell Publishers
  • ISSN: 0965-2140
  • EISSN: 1360-0443
  • Serial URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1360-0443

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohol ignition interlock devices; Alcoholism; Driver licenses; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Revocation; Traffic citations
• Uncontrolled Terms: Hospital care; Sick leave
• Geographic Terms: Sweden
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01054291
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 26 2007 6:39AM