Citation

Wieczorek WF, Miller BA, Nochajski TH. J. Stud. Alcohol 1992; 53(5): 415-419.

Affiliation

Research Institute on Alcoholism, Buffalo, New York 14203.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1992, Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1405632

Abstract

To see if blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a significant indicator of problem drinking or an alcohol-related diagnosis, the relationships between BAC at arrest for drinking and driving, typical drinking, alcohol-related problems, problem drinking and an alcohol abuse or dependence diagnosis were examined for 235 drinking and driving offenders referred for alcoholism evaluation. BAC and typical drinking correlated weakly and no significant relationship between alcohol-related problems and BAC was found. Further, no significant relationship was found between BAC and alcohol abuse or dependence diagnoses, or between problem drinking and BAC. These findings cast doubt on the usefulness of a single report of BAC for diagnostic and screening purposes.