DRINK-DRIVING: THE ROLE OF STRUCTURAL MEASURES IN PRIMARY PREVENTION

The contribution alcohol makes to traffic crashes is the focus of considerable public and political concern. Popular responses concentrate on the individual drinker and driver: the preferred solution of the alcohol industry is an exclusive focus on information based education; however, there is public support for enforcement of breath analysis legislation. Such enforcement has had positive effects on fatal accident rates in both Australia and New Zealand. Current emphasis on individual-based strategies excludes broader structural changes, such as taxation changes, which affect ease of access to alcohol for the population as a whole. Controls over access to alcohol have some empirical support as methods to prevent alcohol-related problems, including alcohol-related traffic crashes. The individual focus is open to criticism on the grounds of being both relatively less cost effective and of victim-blaming. Structural changes should be considered as complementary to effective individual focus strategies such as well publicised enforcement of breath analysis.