Abstract
This study compared 538 male outpatients who were court-referred into chemical dependency treatment and had a Driving-Under-the-Influence (DUI) offense to 790 nonoffender male outpatients. DUI arrestees tended to be younger, more likely to complete treatment, have greater legal involvement, and have a more episodic and social chemical use pattern. DUI offenders were similar to other outpatients in demonstrating significant symptoms of dependency. One-year follow-up results on 199 DUI and 368 non-DUI offenders who had successfully completed treatment and been contacted revealed that the two groups were comparable in areas of reported abstinence, legal involvement, vocational functioning, and medical care utilization; AA attendance was significantly higher among DUI arrestees. The results indicate that outpatient substance abuse treatment can be an appropriate intervention for at least a portion of the DUI offender population, and may be a viable and vital component in an integrated policy on drunken driving.
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