DRINK-DRIVING ... THE LAW THAT AUSTRALIANS HOLD IN CONTEMPT

Anti drink-driving campaigns have become stale and must be reviewed
urgently, experts have warned, after the release of figures showing one in
four men admit driving while drunk.

For the first time in a decade, there is evidence of an upsurge in
drink-driving.

A survey by the National Drug Strategy Household Survey shows a 70 per cent
rise in the percentage of men and women who admit to driving while drunk.

The survey of more than 10,000 people found almost a quarter of the
population admitted to driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Dr Don
Weatherburn, last night described the results as "disturbing" and called for
a review of RBT strategies.

Figures from the Bureau of Crime Statistics support the survey concern that
drink-driving may be increasing.

In 1995, prescribed concentration of alcohol (PCA) offences stood at 194
people in every 100,000. Last year, it had risen to almost 230 per 100,000 -
up by more than 18 per cent.

The drugs survey prepared by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
for the Commonwealth Department of Health reveals that in 1995, 14.3 per
cent of men and 6.6 per cent of women over the age of 14 admitted to the
offence.

But last year, the numbers jumped to almost 24 per cent of men and 11.4 per
cent of women. Overall, the percentage jumped from 10.3 per cent to 17.5 per
cent.

The survey also questioned driving under the influence of "other drugs",
with 8 per cent of men and 4 per cent of women admitting having done so.

Dr Weatherburn said: "It is a very disturbing trend. People need to be
remember that alcohol-related road deaths are as common or more common than
murder, and we ought to be treating it just as seriously.

"RBT is only as effective as the publicity surrounding it, because the whole
point is to create the widespread impression that you will get caught if you
drink and drive.

"We need to make sure RBT sites don't become predictable. In the light of
these figures, I think it is worth reviewing theRBT strategy, including the
publicity strategy.

"For a very long time, we have had a reduction in the number of people
testing, and now it is looking like we are facing an upturn. We should nip
this problem in the bud."

The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre said there had to be a greater
focus on alcohol as a problem because of a complacency created by debate on
illicit drugs.

The centre's information manager, Mr Paul Dillon, said drivers had become
too complacent about alcohol use.

"The focus has moved away from alcohol to illicit drugs such as heroin,
which so few people use by comparison," he said. "The other problem is that
it seems to be almost an attack on our culture to talk about alcohol as
being a problem."