An evaluation and education program for driving while intoxicated offenders

This report addresses the development of a mandatory, inpatient, evaluation and education program aimed at reducing Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) at a major Army installation. The program was designed to provide extensive evaluation to all soldiers within a week of the DWI. The majority of soldiers are young males, a population known for heavy drinking and a disproportionate amount of both motor-vehicle accidents and fatalities. Among the initial 490 soldiers admitted to the program, 88% were found to meet DSM-III criteria for alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. Factors associated with a diagnosis of abuse or dependence were age; scores on the Vaillant alcohol questionnaire, the MacAndrews and F scales of the MMPI, the Mortimer-Filkins questionnaire; BAC at time of arrest; a prior history of alcohol-related problems; and certain blood hematology and chemistry values. Results indicate that DWI is a marker for serious alcohol problems.