Alcohol and Traffic Safety in Sweden and the Role of Biologic Markers in Finding Alcohol Dependency

In Sweden alcohol abuse is regarded as a dominating public health problem. It has been estimated that about 300 000 Swedes are alcohol abusers or alcohol dependent, corresponding to 4-5% of the male and 1-2% of the female population. As a consequence Sweden has a long tradition o f strict DWI legislation which is well internalised in the general sense o f justice. Thus, drunken driving is considered a serious crime and most Swedish drivers have a very negative attitude towards such behaviour (Aberg,1993). In the past few years the legislation has become more strict. The legal BAC-limit has been lowered. In 1991 Sweden introduced re-licensing requirements after having been sentenced with more than 0.15% BAC and in 1996 more rigorous regulations of the medical requirements for possession of a driving licence in case of alcohol dependency or abuse (The Swedish National Road Administration, 1996).