Drinking and driving: Explaining beverage-specific risks

Objective: This study rested whether the association of beer drinking with drinking and driving is due to cultural norms or is an artifact arising fro m the demographic profile of beer drinkers (young and male), the drinking p atterns of this subpopulation (frequent and heavy), and the venues in which they prefer to drink (bars and restaurants). Method: Telephone survey data from six U.S. communities were used to establish the demographic character istics of drinkers, their consumption patterns, beverage preferences, prefe rred drinking venues and self-reported drinking and driving rates. The surv ey completion rate was 64.6%. A total sample of 5,231 drinkers was divided into test and validity samples. After deletion of cases with missing data, the test sample included 2,275 drinkers, of whom 985 had driven after drink ing. Results: Controlling for a broad set of covariates, the analyses showe d that frequent consumers were more likely to drink outside the home, prefe rred beer and spirits to wine, and were more likely than others to drink an d drive. Beverage preferences were not directly associated with drinking an d driving. Beer drinkers, however, were from the subpopulation most likely to drink and drive: heavier drinking younger men, who prefer ro drink at ba rs and restaurants. Conclusions: These results suggest that the association of beer consumption with drinking-driving arises from the circumstances in which the subpopulation of beer drinkers more commonly find themselves (as a result of their efforts to maximize, within economic constraints, the so cial and amenity value of drinking), as opposed to any culturally induced d isposition beer drinkers may have to drink and drive.