Citation

Jones AW, Holmgren A. Forensic Sci. Int. 2009; 188(1-3): 40-45.

Affiliation

Department of Forensic Genetics and Forensic Toxicology, National Board of Forensic Medicine, Artillerigatan 12, SE-587 58 Linköping, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.forsciint.2009.03.010

PMID

19394172

Abstract

This article reports the age, gender, and blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of people apprehended in Sweden for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUIA) over an 8-year period (2000-2007). Duplicate determinations of ethanol were made in venous blood by headspace gas chromatography and results were reported positive at a cut-off concentration of 0.1g/L (10mg/100ml or 0.01g%). The mean, median and highest BAC was 1.74g/L, 1.70g/L and 5.18g/L, respectively. The vast majority of offenders were men (89.5%) with a mean age of 39.0+/-14.6 y (+/-SD). The women (10.5%) were a few years older 41.8+/-13.6y (p<0.001). The mean BAC in the men (1.73+/-0.85g/L) did not differ significantly (p>0.05) from women (1.77+/-0.87g/L). The youngest offenders aged 15-20y (N=3513) had a mean BAC of 1.30+/-0.60g/L (median 1.32), which was significantly less (p<0.001) than people aged 40-50y (N=6644); mean 1.90g/L (median 2.0g/L). In 95 individuals (89 men and 6 women) the BAC exceeded 4.0g/L, which is a level considered to cause death by acute alcohol poisoning. The Widmark formula was used to calculate that a man (80kg) with a BAC of 1.7g/L has 95g ethanol ( approximately 12 units of alcohol) in the body compared with 61g ( approximately 8 units) for a woman (60kg). This study verifies that the average drunken driver in Sweden is typically a binge drinker and education programs and treatment for alcohol-use disorder might be a more appropriate sanction than the more conventional penalties for alcohol-impaired driving.

Language: en