[Indicators for alcohol abuse in female drunk drivers. (Comparative study with alcohol intoxicated male automobile drivers)].

Abstract

Women account for about 12% of all cases of drink driving in German cities. Little is known about their drinking behaviour and the extent of their alcohol misuse. In order that these questions may be clarified, three major studies were evaluated. In these studies, additional indicators for alcohol misuse such as GGT or methanol and acetone+isopropanol or indeed CDT, GGT, methanol and acetone+isopropanol were measured in blood samples. The results were compared with studies of the same kind on male car drivers. There were no significant differences in the ages of males and females. However, there were no differences at all regarding the frequency of the blood alcohol levels or the CDT. Indicators levels of chronic alcohol abuse, such als GGT levels above 70 U/L, methanol levels above 10.00 mg/kg or acetone+isopropanol concentrations above 9.00 mg/kg were approximately the same with women as they were with men. This demonstrates an increasing similarity amongst male and female DWI drivers regarding the drinking behaviour and alcohol abuse.