COUNTRY: FRANCE
REGION: EUROPE
Action auprès des Conducteurs Ayant un problème d’Alcool (EVACAPA)
Implementer: National Association of Alcohol Addiction and Addiction Prevention [L'Association Nationale de Prévention en Alcoologie et Addictologie (ANPAA)]
Partners: National Network of Health; Road Safety; Ministry of Justice
Program Overview: The EVACAPA collective intervention program implements a collective strategy that aims to decrease the probability of subsequent drink driving offences among drivers detained for the first time for drink driving.
Program Design: First time drink driving offenders were invited to participate in the EVACAPA program which is designed by a team combining justice, road safety, and health service professionals. Participants have their sentences commuted for one year.
Evaluation: In this study, drivers detained for driving under the influence of alcohol for the first time (n = 372) were evaluated by a substance abuse specialist and randomized placed into three groups:
-Participants in the collective strategy group (n=124) received five 2-hour sessions in a group of 8 to 10 people and two medical appointments over the course of a year. Group discussion topics included justice, health, alcohol and driving, and alternative behavioral strategies to prevent reoffending.
-Participants in the individual strategy group (n=124) received two appointments with a psychologist specializing in alcohol abuse and two interviews with a probation counselor. These interviews covered the topics of the medical and psychological aspects of drinking and driving and the judicial aspects of drink-driving. Participants in this group also received monthly information pamphlets on drink driving and were required to fill out written validated questionnaires in response.
-Participants in the control group (n=124) received a list of addresses and telephone numbers for resources to prevent recidivism.
-Measures: participants’ police records were examined three years after the first offense to assess drink driving ecidivism rates.
Key findings: A multidisciplinary group intervention can reduce the rate of second drink driving offending.
-At three-year follow-up, the rate of recidivism was lower among the collective intervention group (5.5%) than both of the individual intervention group (11%) and the control group (15%).
Program Website:
References:
P.Gache, M.-J. Acinas, F. Otthoffer et al. (2006). Prévenir la récidive de la conduit automobile sous l’influence de l’alcool. Alcoologie et Addictologie, 28(4 Suppl.), 54S-61S.
Target Audience: Drink driving offenders
Issues: Drinking and Driving
Setting: Remedial Drink Driving Programs
Approach: Motivational Interviewing, Motivation Enhancement
