ILLICIT ALCOHOL (MOONSHINE) CONSUMPTION IN WEST ALABAMA REVISITED

Background. Lacy and Wintemitz in 1984 and Pegues in 1991 showed the p resence of moonshine-related lead poisoning in Alabama. Methods. This study tvas a 10-year follow-up to the Lacy and Wintemitz study and use d a similar inpatient retrospective chart review methodology. We looke d at cases occurring between 1989 and 1992, which were positive for ei ther a history of moonshine consumption or lead intoxication and cases suspicious for the diagnoses, based on the Lacy and Wintemitz epidemi ologic parameters. Results. A declining, yet continuing, presence of m oonshine-related lead intoxication still exists in west Alabama. Concl usions. The findings suggest the current at-risk patients may continue to be middle-aged to elderly men from rural settings. Furthermore, ap propriate screening tests were not always ordered, which suggests a po ssible lack of awareness of the disorder by care givers.