Citation

Duailibi S, Pinsky I, Laranjeira R. Rev. Saude Publica 2007; 41(6): 1058-1061.

Vernacular Title

Prevalencia do beber e dirigir em Diadema, estado de Sao Paulo.

Affiliation

Unidade de Pesquisa em álcool e outras Drogas, Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Faculdade de Higiene e Saude Publica)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

17923887

Abstract

Problems due to alcohol use among drivers have been assessed worldwide and studies indicate high morbidity and mortality rates related to drinking and driving. There are few national studies about this subject. Thus, this study was conducted aiming at estimating the prevalence of drinking and driving and testing the acceptability of passive and active breathalyzers. A total of 908 drivers were tested in the main streets of a city in the state of São Paulo, from February 2005 to March 2006. The methodology adopted was sobriety checkpoints. In 23.7% of the drivers some level of alcohol was found in the exhaled air; in 19.4% alcohol level was equal to or higher than the legal limit. The passive breathalyzer was reliable and presented results comparable to the active one. These findings were six times higher than those found in similar surveys carried out in other countries, indicating the relevance of this problem. Specific public policies to fight the problem and more national studies are needed.

Language: pt