Citation

Bernosky-Smith KA, Shannon EE, Roth AJ, Liguori A. Hum. Psychopharmacol. 2011; 26(3): 216-223.

Affiliation

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston‐Salem, North Carolina 27101, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/hup.1195

PMID

21542027

PMCID

PMC3161131

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Compared with non‐bingers, binge drinkers are more likely to drive while intoxicated. The extent to which binge frequency impacts confidence in driving and subsequent driving impairment is unknown. This study compared the effects of an experimenter‐delivered alcohol binge on subjective impairment and simulated driving ability in female high‐frequency and low‐frequency bingers. METHODS: Female drinkers were assigned to high‐frequency (n = 30) or low‐frequency (n = 30) binge groups based on their Alcohol Use Questionnaire responses. At 30‐min intervals within a 2‐h period, participants received either a placebo drink (n = 15 per group) or a 0.2 g/kg dose of alcohol (n = 15 per group; cumulative dose 0.8 g/kg). Self‐reported impairment, driving confidence, and simulated driving were then measured. RESULTS: Self‐reported confidence in driving was significantly lower after alcohol than after placebo in low‐frequency but not highfrequency bingers. Self‐reported impairment and collisions during simulated driving were significantly greater after alcohol than after placebo in both low‐frequency and high‐frequency bingers. CONCLUSIONS: The impairing effects of a single alcohol binge on driving ability in women are not influenced by binge frequency. However, high binge frequency may be associated with a less cautious approach to post‐binge driving.

Language: en