Driving under the influence of alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pattern of alcohol use in drivers.

Materials

and methods. At the National Institute of Legal Medicine from Bucharest, we performed a retrospective study on toxicology reports between January 1st^, 2019 and December 31st, 2020. Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) was tested using Dräger breathalyzers by police units at the scene, and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was evaluated using headspace gas chromatography. Most drivers gave two blood samples, separated by a one-hour interval, case in which they could request a retrograde extrapolation of the BAC at the time when they were stopped in traffic.

Results

The distribution of the number of cases depending on th

SUBMITTER: Hostiuc S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8539202 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature