This paper presents the epidemiological correlates of breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs) of young people aged up to 30, related to five different types of accidents (traffic, school, home, work and sports) and to assaults. The data were collected from measurements taken in the emergency room of a French hospital. 200 accidents were analysed. The objectives of the research were to: (1) analyse the specificity of traffic accidents among young people; (2) epidemiologically compare variables associated with accident involvement; (3) establish links between traffic safety research on alcohol-related accidents to young people, and medical research on drinking behaviour and other types of accidents. The paper contains charts showing the distributions of accidents by age, type of accident, type of road user, sex, presence or absence of alcohol in breath, and laterality (right- or left-handedness). Proportions of accidents, where alcohol was found in the breath, are given for different (1) types of accident (e.g. 18% for traffic accidents); (2) sexes; (3) times of day (i.e. day or night); (4) laterality; (5) parental marital situations; and (6) birth order (i.e. whether the subject was the eldest, youngest or intermediate child). Alcohol frequencies differ greatly for different accident types.
Abstract