NCJ Number
50636
Date Published
1977
Length
707 pages
Annotation
THIS PROJECT WAS UNDERTAKEN TO ASCERTAIN THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALCOHOLISM AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND TO DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK FOR THE STUDY OF DRINKING PROBLEMS.
Abstract
THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO MAINTAIN A DUAL CONCERN WITH THE EMPIRICAL LEVEL OF EPIDEMIOLOGICAL FINDINGS AND THE CONCEPTUAL LEVEL OF THE MEANING AND SOCIAL DEFINITION OF CAUSATION (ALCOHOL AS A CAUSE OF EVENTS). DISTINCT FROM THE PARTICULAR ASPECT OF ALCOHOL BEING EMPLOYED AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE IN THE ASSOCIATIONAL STATEMENT LINKING ALCOHOL AND A GIVEN SERIOUS EVENT IS THE PARTICULAR POWER OR EFFECT ASCRIBED TO ALCOHOL IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT ITS PUTATIVE CAUSAL ROLE. AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF THE ROLE OF ALCOHOL IN SERIOUS EVENTS MUST INCLUDE, AS A MINIMUM, AN ALCOHOL INDICATOR AND AN INDICATOR OF A SERIOUS EVENT. THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF STUDIES DEALING WITH ALCOHOL AND SERIOUS EVENTS DO NOT USE A GENERAL SAMPLE OF PERSONS OR SITUATIONS BUT RATHER DEPEND ON A SAMPLING FRAME THAT ELIMINATES THE PROBLEM OF RARITY BY FOCUSING ONLY ON RARE SITUATIONS OR CASES. THREE MAJOR TYPES OF STUDIES ARE REVIEWED: (1) STUDIES OF ALCOHOL USE AT THE TIME OF SERIOUS EVENT; (2) STUDIES OF THE DRINKING HISTORY AND DRINKING PROBLEMS OF PERSONS IN A SERIOUS EVENT; AND (3) STUDIES OF THE INVOLVEMENT OF LABELED ALCOHOLICS IN A SERIOUS EVENT. THE RESULTS OF CONTROLLED AND MULTIVARIATE STUDIES ARE DISCUSSED, WITH SPECIFIC CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO ALCOHOL AND TRAFFIC, ALCOHOL AND CRIME, ALCOHOL AND FAMILY ABUSE, AND RESEARCH ON THE RELATION BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND CASUALTIES AND CRIME. (DEP)