Alcohol Consumption and Driving Culture of Commercial Bus Drivers

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Alcohol consumption among commercial bus drivers represents a serious health concern. Apart from a few countries where alcohol is prohibited, impairment by alcohol is an important factor influencing both the risk of a road traffic crash as well as the severity and outcome of the injuries that result from it Murray C, Lopez AD (2005). The frequency of drinking and driving varies between countries, but decades of research have shown that drink drivers have a significantly higher risk of being involved in a road crash than drivers who have not consumed alcohol. In most high-income countries about 20% of fatally injured drivers have excess alcohol in their blood, i.e. blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in excess of the legal limit. In contrast, studies in low- and middle-income countries have shown that between 33% and 69% of fatally injured drivers and between 8% and 29% of non fatally injured drivers had consumed alcohol before their crash Hingson R et al. (2000).
Alcohol consumption has occurred for thousands of years. In many parts of the world, drinking alcoholic beverages is a common feature of social gatherings. While alcohol use is deeply embedded in many societies, recent years have seen changes in drinking patterns across the globe: rates of consumption, drinking to excess among the general population and heavy episodic drinking among commercial bus drivers are on the rise in many countries. Nevertheless, the consumption of alcohol carries a risk of adverse health and social consequences related to its intoxicating, toxic and dependence-producing properties Abiodun OA et al. (1994). Alcohol consumption has health and social consequences via intoxication (drunkenness), dependence (habitual, compulsive and long-term drinking), and other biochemical effects. In addition to chronic diseases that may affect drinkers after many years of heavy use, alcohol contributes to traumatic outcomes that kill or disable at a relatively...