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Alcohol and Injuries-Reply
Robert D. Brewer, MD, MSPH;
David Sleet, PhD
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, Ga
Arch Fam Med. 1996;5(2):68.
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In reply
We agree with Hamilton that all persons who use alcohol should be informed of the risks associated with alcohol use and the importance of limiting alcohol consumption to moderate levels,1 if indeed it is appropriate for one to drink at all. We also believe that it is important for clinicians to screen injured patients for alcohol problems and, when feasible, to obtain routine blood alcohol concentrations for these patients to provide a basis for clinical and public health interventions that will prevent future alcoholrelated injuries. However, in the case of persons who drive while intoxicated, we strongly believe that clinical interventions must be combined with strict legal sanctions, such as prompt suspension of a person's driver's license, to prevent injuries and deaths in alcohol-related crashes.2 While license suspension is no guarantee that a person won't drive, strong scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of strict license sanctions in preventing
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
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