Abstract

GUANCHE GARCELL, Humberto et al. Alcohol consumption by drivers in Villa Clara province. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2007, vol.33, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3127.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of alcohol consumption by drivers in Villa Clara province. METHODS: As part of an intervention study, alcohol intake was actively surveilled from Abril 25th, 2003 to October 31st of the same year, in urban and rural roads, from Friday to Sunday every one week. Alcohol concentrations was estimated thanks to Alcotest 7410 RS Plus. Any type of driver regardless of the type of vehicle, origin and province of registration as put into jail was stopped. Absolute and relative frequencies for each category of the variables of interes were estimated. RESULTS: Six thousand four hundred and sixty one drivers were studied; 805 of them (12,46 %) were positive. 9.8% had blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) £ 0,08 mg/L; 77,6 % with BAC from 0,09 to 1,00 mg/L whereas 12,92 % showed ³ 1.00. The higher frequencies of alcohol intake were found in horse-drawn and ox-drawn vehicle drivers (44,27 %), tractor drivers (36,56 %), cyclists (28,57 %) and motorcyclists (27,26 %). 25,73 % of the drivers whose vehicles were registered in other provinces, were positive in BAC test and Villa Clara¢s 11,39 %. The frequency of BAC-positive drivers was higher in the months of June (16,9 %) and August (15,8 %). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of alcohol consumption found in this study makes it necessary to strengthen traffic accident prevention policies to control this risky behaviour and to encourage the conduction of research works on alcohol and driving

Keywords : Alcohol; driving; traffic accidents; prevention.

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