New program will help drunk drivers decrease risky drinking behavior
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A University of Michigan program for non-alcoholics who want to reduce their drinking and lower their health risk has helped more than 260 participants cut their alcohol intake by an average of 66 percent, new statistics show.
The dramatic decrease from heavy, risky drinking to a more sensible, healthy approach to alcohol is long-lived, according to the newly compiled data from the DrinkWise program. Three-quarters of participants were still at or below their goal drinking levels nine months after completing the series of one-on-one and group counseling sessions. A quarter of participants chose to stop drinking entirely. The average alcohol intake for those who chose not to abstain entirely dropped from 20 to 22 drinks per week down to 6 to 7 drinks per week.
Now, a modified version of DrinkWise is being offered to those who have been cited or referred by a lawyer, judge or probation officer for driving while impaired. It offers a proven addition to existing court-sponsored options for drivers who are drinking at risky levels or in risky situations.
"These results show that DrinkWise really can help those who are somewhere in the middle of the drinking spectrum, not addicted and dependent, but not feeling completely comfortable about the risks that their level of drinking might bring," says Katherine Klykylo, MHSA, ACSW, who coordinates the program in the M-Fit Health Promotion Division of the U-M Health System.
DrinkWise, which the U-M has offered since 1994, focuses on reducing alcohol intake in people with mild to moderate alcohol problems for health and risk reasons. Based on more than 20 years of Canadian research, it is currently offered only by the U-M, and at locations in North Carolina and Ontario. The new statistics, based on 153 men and 114 women who completed the program, add to prior evidence of its success at helping people with no alcohol dependency.
The new program for those who have been cited for driving while impaired grew out of an observation that Klykylo and her colleagues made during initial interviews of DrinkWise participants. More than half admitted to occasional drinking and driving.
"We knew that if we could help these people, who had called our office on their own initiative because they were concerned about their drinking, we might also be able to help those who have had a brush with the law because of their drinking," Klykylo says.
The majority of people with alcohol problems - that is, drinking habits that can put their health or safety at risk - are not alcoholic, Klykylo says. The same goes for many who drink and drive. By educating those people about the problems that heavy drinking or drinking in risky situations can pose, coaching them on ways to cut back, and supporting them in their own decision to abstain or moderate their drinking, DrinkWise aims to help participants avert possible problems.
For example, participants may set a daily limit of two or three drinks, no more than 4 days a week. They may choose to space out their drinks and set a "window" of time during a party when they may drink. They may also start a diary of their drinking or get involved in leisure activities that don't create an environment for drinking alcohol.
Moderate to heavy drinking can increase a person's risk of liver and kidney problems, breast cancer, accidents at home, depression and, of course, driving incidents. Some evidence suggests it may increase the risk of heart disease. And some of those who engage in routine moderate to heavy drinking may eventually develop a dependence on alcohol.
DrinkWise defines a risky drinking level as more than 1-2 drinks a day for women and people over 65, and more than 1-3 drinks a day for men. Lower-risk weekly limits are no more than 7 drinks for women and those over 65, and no more than 10 for men. A "drink" is defined as 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 oz. of table wine, 3 oz. of fortified wine, 1.5 oz. of liquor or 12 oz. of wine cooler - serving sizes that are actually smaller than most people's definition of a "drink".
DrinkWise candidates often are making other health-conscious choices, such as cutting cholesterol or fat intake, quitting smoking, or learning to manage stress. But they contact the program because they feel they might need extra help in scaling down their drinking before more serious problems take hold. About half of those who contact the program decide they need the level of counseling that DrinkWise offers, after an initial conversation with a counselor.
The regular DrinkWise program starts with a one-hour assessment session with a counselor who is trained and experienced in alcohol education, and has a background in nursing, social work or health education. Those who decide to continue then jointly develop an action plan with their counselor. They then take part in either four one-hour private sessions, five two-hour group sessions, or four one-hour telephone sessions over a 7 to 10 week period. Each participant is contacted at three and nine months after completing the program, for a follow-up telephone session. The cost is $495, which is not reimbursable by insurers.
The program for impaired drivers will be structured slightly differently and will cost slightly more. After an initial interview, participants will start with a two-hour session of risk-lowering strategies designed to stop them from driving while impaired. Next, they will have the regular series of counseling and follow-up sessions. Afterward, a report on the participant's compliance will be sent to the referring court or attorney. Those who have had one or two citations for driving while impaired would be appropriate candidates; repeat offenders would not.
Klykylo says that DrinkWise offers an alternative to abstinence-based programs that impaired drivers are often ordered to attend. But DrinkWise counselors will refer potential participants to such programs instead if they feel more intervention is needed.
To refer yourself or others to DrinkWise, call 734-975-4463 or 1-800-222-5145, or go to http://www.med.umich.edu/drinkwise.