Introduction : what's the harm? -- The discovery of drunk driving -- Science and government enter the fray -- The MADD mothers take charge -- The movement matures and splinters -- Lamb, lightner, and libertarians : a backlash -- Conclusion: more (and more) stories.

"Everyone knows 'drunk driving' is a 'serious' offense. And yet, everyone knows lots of 'drunk drivers' who don't get involved in accidents, don't get caught by the police, and manage to compensate adequately for their 'drunken disability.' Everyone also knows of 'drunk drivers' who have been arrested and gotten off easy. Gusfield's book dissects the conventional wisdom about 'drinking-driving' and examines the paradox of a 'serious' offense that is usually treated lightly by the judiciary and rarely carries social stigma."—Mac Marshall, Social Science and Medicine "A sophisticated and thoughtful critic. . . . Gusfield argues that the 'myth of the killer drunk' is a creation of the 'public culture of law.' . . . Through its dramatic development and condemnation of the anti-social character of the drinking-driver, the public law strengthens the illusion of moral consensus in American society and celebrates the virtues of a sober and orderly world."—James D. Orcutt, Sociology and Social Research "Joseph Gusfield denies neither the role of alcohol in highway accidents nor the need to do something about it. His point is that the research we conduct on drinking-driving and the laws we make to inhibit it tells us more about our moral order than about the effects of drinking-driving itself. Many will object to this conclusion, but none can ignore it. Indeed, the book will put many scientific and legal experts on the defensive as they face Gusfield's massive erudition, pointed analysis and criticism, and powerful argumentation. In The Culture of Public Problems, Gusfield presents the experts, and us, with a masterpiece of sociological reasoning."—Barry Schwartz, American Journal of Sociology This book is truly an outstanding achievement. . . . It is sociology of science, sociology of law, sociology of deviance, and sociology of knowledge. Sociologists generally should find the book of great theoretical interest, and it should stimulate personal reflection on their assumptions about science and the kind of consciousness it creates. They will also find that the book is a delight to read."—William B. Bankston, Social Forces

Accompanied by a DVD of an HBO documentary entitled: Smashed--toxic tales of teens and alcohol.

"Providing step-by-step instruction in defense of a drunk driving case in California, California Drunk Driving Defense outlines what to anticipate and how to prepare for DUI/DWI pretrial and trial proceedings. The authors provide information on sentencing, license suspension, and revocation, as well as strategy guidance regarding: Field evidence and the arresting officer; What to expect and how to prepare for pretrial and trial proceedings; Methods to challenge the Intoxilyzer, Intoximeter, and blood and urine analyses; Tasks for cross-examination of the chemical expert and the arresting officer; Professional responsibility issues; Civilian witnesses; Substantive offenses; Giving compelling jury instructions; Suppression of evidence, and Successfully attacking prior convictions" -- http://legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.com/law-products/Treatises/California-Drunk-Driving-Defense-5th/p/104310653

18% of all drivers killed in road accidents are over the drink-drive limit (In 2007, based on coroners' data.) but only approximately 3% of drivers in the UK are stopped and tested for alcohol compared to the European average of 16%.. This report calls for the police to be given an additional power to permit preliminary breath tests as part of any designated drink drive enforcement operation. Currently, the police may stop any vehicle but can only test the driver's breath if there is an element of suspicion. There is concern that a reduction in the blood alcohol concentration limit would send out mixed messages but that the aimed for effectively zero limit is too great a step at present. Instead, concentration should be on stricter enforcement of the current limit and public education. It is felt that the success of Great Britain's drink driving policy to date is largely attributable to the deterrent effect of the current 12-month mandatory disqualification penalty and the Committee supports retaining that penalty. The committee also calls for the improvement of the detection of drug driving and to strengthen public perception about the likelihood of drug drivers being caught by the police. The Government's commitment to install drug screening devices in every police station by 2012 is welcomed though this interim measure should not eclipse the Government's aim over the medium-term to develop and type-approve a drug screening device for use at the roadside, drawing on relevant experience of doing this in the other parts of the world

Alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous - both to themselves and society at large. Underage alcohol use is associated with traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational failure, and other problem behaviors that diminish the prospects of future success, as well as health risks â€" and the earlier teens start drinking, the greater the danger. Despite these serious concerns, the media continues to make drinking look attractive to youth, and it remains possible and even easy for teenagers to get access to alcohol. Why is this dangerous behavior so pervasive? What can be done to prevent it? What will work and who is responsible for making sure it happens? Reducing Underage Drinking addresses these questions and proposes a new way to combat underage alcohol use. It explores the ways in which may different individuals and groups contribute to the problem and how they can be enlisted to prevent it. Reducing Underage Drinking will serve as both a game plan and a call to arms for anyone with an investment in youth health and safety.

In this ambitious interdisciplinary study, James B. Jacobs provides the first comprehensive review and analysis of America's drunk driving problem and of America's anti-drunk driving policies and jurisprudence. In a clear and accessible style, he considers what has been learned, what is being done, and what constitutional limits exist to the control and enforcement of drunk driving.