The use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances by victims of traffic accidents in Greece.

Alcohol is one of the main causes of traffic accidents worldwide. Its use decreases significantly the driving ability of an individual as well as the reflexes of a pedestrian increasing in this way the possibilities of their involvement in motor-vehicle accidents. The above possibilities are increased when a psychoactive substance has been taken in combination with alcohol due to their synergistic effect. The Laboratory of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology of the University of Athens is authorized to perform the toxicological investigation of traffic accidents that happen in the major part of Greece. The findings of the toxicological analyses that were performed in our laboratory during the years 1995 to 1997 are classified according to the alcohol concentration and the kind of psychoactive substance detected as well as to the gender and the age of the victims, drivers or pedestrians. The results of the above classification are evaluated and the conclusions regarding alcohol, drugs and traffic accidents in Greece are discussed thoroughly.

[1]  S. Andréasson,et al.  Mortality and morbidity related to alcohol. , 1997, Alcohol and alcoholism.

[2]  S. Baker,et al.  Drinking behavior in relation to cause of death among US adults. , 1994, American journal of public health.

[3]  B Fildes,et al.  Differences in traffic judgements between young and old adult pedestrians. , 1997, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[4]  H P Kruger,et al.  [Absolute driving incapacity at 1.0 promille--an erroneous limit]. , 1990 .

[5]  J D Graham,et al.  The role of heavy drinking in the risk of traffic fatalities. , 1996, Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis.

[6]  C. Kloeden,et al.  Age, sex, and blood alcohol concentration of killed and injured drivers, riders, and passengers. , 1994, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[7]  Boris Veniaminovich Ioffe,et al.  Head-Space Analysis and Related Methods in Gas Chromatography , 1984 .

[8]  Curtis D. Klaassen,et al.  Casarett and Doull's Toxicology. The Basic Science of Poisons , 1981 .

[9]  P F Waller,et al.  Women, alcohol, and driving. , 1995, Recent developments in alcoholism : an official publication of the American Medical Society on Alcoholism, the Research Society on Alcoholism, and the National Council on Alcoholism.

[10]  O T Holubowycz,et al.  Age, sex, and blood alcohol concentration of killed and injured pedestrians. , 1995, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[11]  H Laurell,et al.  Acute and hang-over effects of alcohol on simulated driving performance. , 1991, Blutalkohol.

[12]  P. Gruenewald,et al.  The effect of drinking and driving interventions on alcohol-involved traffic crashes within a comprehensive community trial. , 1997, Addiction.

[13]  F. Álvarez,et al.  Alcohol and driving , 1996, The Lancet.

[14]  P. Gruenewald,et al.  Drinking and driving: drinking patterns and drinking problems. , 1996, Addiction.

[15]  D de Waard,et al.  Assessing driver status: a demonstration experiment on the road. , 1991, Accident; analysis and prevention.