Predictors of driving while intoxicated (DWI) among American Indians in the northwest

This study compares DWI arrest records for American Indians to those of the general population in Washington State. Within the period January 1987 through December 1987, 1,067 American Indians were arrested for DWI. This sample was compared for age, gender, and occupational status to 28,130 total DWI arrestees during the same period. The data indicate that American Indians were the most over-represented population as they were two-and-one-half times as likely to be arrested for DWI, compared to overall DWI arrest population. The population of American Indians arrested for DWI was three times as likely to be unemployed as compared to the resident labor force of all American Indians. This research supports the conclusion that DWI arrests may be viewed as a symptom of alcohol misuse, abuse, or chemical dependency for American Indians, and that a DWI prevention approach should include education, prevention, intervention, treatment, aftercare, and law enforcement efforts that are sensitive to tribal diversity.