Driving under the influence of alcohol has been a major social problem ever since the automobile came into popular use. It has been of world-wide concern for almost 100 years. The contribution of alcohol to increased risk of traffic accidents has been well established. Experimental studies and epidemiological surveys, conducted in a number of industrialised countries since the early part of this century, have documented consistent and reliable evidence of the correlation between alcohol consumption, increasing blood alcohol concentrations (BACs), and the increasing risk of involvement in an alcohol-related road accident. The recognition of the importance of alcohol-related road traffic accidents as a significant cause of mortality, disability, and economic loss has focused international efforts on the development of policies and strategies for the prevention of injuries and fatalities. Public concern in the United States has increased dramatically since the 1980s, resulting in a concerted attention at national and local levels to reduce the rates of drunk driving in our society.With the “get tough” attitude prevalent since the 1980s, great strides have been made in reducing the incidence of drunk driving. However, the rates are still unacceptably high. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the agency responsible for overseeing highway safety issues in the United States, has set a goal of reducing annual DWI fatalities to 11,000 by the year 2005. However, the problem of drunk driving has proven to be a stubborn one that does not easily give way to solutions. The number of DWI fatalities for 2000 was 16,068. Recognition is growing world-wide for the need to address the issue of those drinking drivers who do not respond to sanctions and treatment, but continue to drink and drive even when facing severe consequences. This population causes a disproportionately large percentage of alcohol-related injuries, property damage, and fatalities compared to other drivers. More emphasis is being placed on the development of improved intervention strategies aimed at the drinking driver who is a high-risk problem drinker, a high alcohol consumer, and a chronic multiple DWI recidivist. Researchers and treatment experts in the alcohol and drunk driving field recognise that current intervention policies need to be modified in order to better address this “hard-core” population. This book attempts to put under one cover the most current and up-to-date information on this problem. It is not all-inclusive, but rather reflects the major trends and conclusions currently permeating the field of DWI research and treatment. The information about this field seems to be scattered throughout journals and research articles. This book will provide treatment practitioners with relevant information in one easily accessible place. It is our goal to take this information and place it here, so that any practitioner treating an offender will be able to base their treatment on a greater understanding of the issues and problems of this population. Assessment, treatment planning, and treatment of the DWI offender is our primary focus, since it is effective treatment that plays an important role in working with the hard-core drinking-driving offender. A tremendous amount of research has been compiled contributing to an improved knowledge of the DWI offender within our field. The chapters in this book are designed to provide information based on this accumulation of knowledge, in the key areas vital to the assessment, treatment planning, and treatment of this group. The challenges ahead are going to require more innovative efforts by both the treatment community and the legal and grassroots community in order to continue to reduce the tragic consequences of this crime. (Author/publisher)
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