Risk Awareness Training for Alcoholism
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: 18 - 65
Sex: Female
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Mark Fillmore
Disqualifiers: Physical disease, Psychiatric disease, Pregnancy, others
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?This study aims to test the efficacy of experiential-based training to increase DUI offenders' perceptions or risk associated with alcohol use.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Risk Awareness Training for Alcoholism?
Research shows that training people to estimate their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) can make them more cautious about their behavior while drinking, which may help in reducing alcohol-related risks. Additionally, providing information to help drinkers know their BAC limits has potential importance for preventing driving under the influence.
12345Is Risk Awareness Training for Alcoholism safe for humans?
The research does not provide specific safety data for Risk Awareness Training for Alcoholism, but it suggests that training to estimate blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is generally used to help moderate drinkers avoid excessive alcohol consumption and improve awareness of impairment, which may imply a focus on safety.
35678How is the Risk Awareness Training for Alcoholism treatment different from other treatments?
This treatment is unique because it focuses on training individuals to accurately estimate their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and recognize their level of impairment, which can help prevent excessive drinking and related negative consequences. Unlike other treatments that may focus on abstinence or medication, this approach uses experiential learning and feedback to enhance self-awareness and decision-making during drinking episodes.
25789Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for individuals who drive on a weekly basis and have had a valid driver's license for at least five years. It specifically targets DUI offenders to help them understand the risks of alcohol use. Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, those with substance use disorders (excluding nicotine or caffeine), or with physical or psychiatric diseases cannot participate.Inclusion Criteria
I have had a valid driver's license for at least 5 years.
I drive on a weekly basis.
Exclusion Criteria
Breastfeeding
I have a history of physical or mental health conditions.
Pregnancy
+1 more
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Pre-training Assessment
Participants undergo a pre-training assessment of their responses to a controlled dose of alcohol versus a placebo on key indicators of risk awareness
1 week
1 visit (in-person)
Training
Participants attend two training sessions where they receive a controlled alcohol dose and structured feedback to appraise the impairing effects of alcohol and estimate BAC
2 weeks
2 visits (in-person)
Post-training Assessment
Participants are re-tested on the indicators of risk awareness in response to alcohol at 1-week and 3-months post-training
3 months
2 visits (in-person)
Follow-up
Participants' alcohol consumption and cravings are monitored monthly to evaluate training efficacy
3 months
Participant Groups
The study is testing two types of training: performance feedback training and blood alcohol concentration discrimination training. The goal is to see if these methods can improve DUI offenders' awareness of the risks associated with drinking and driving.
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Intoxicated risk awareness training sessionExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Participants will complete an intoxicated risk awareness training session in which they receive a controlled alcohol dose with structured feedback and training to accurately appraise the impairing effects of alcohol and estimate their blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
Group II: Alcohol exposure onlyActive Control1 Intervention
Participants assigned to the alcohol-exposure-only condition undergo the same alcohol dose exposures over the session but receive a general body scan and do not receive feedback concerning BAC or performance.
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
University of KentuckyLexington, KY
Loading ...
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Mark FillmoreLead Sponsor
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)Collaborator
References
Experience with alcohol and ability to discriminate legal intoxication status: a field study. [2019]The research on blood alcohol level (BAL) discrimination training indicates that normal social drinkers can be taught to estimate successfully their level of intoxication. These studies show, however, that prior to training, skills for estimating intoxication are poor. The current study was undertaken to demonstrate that a sample of individuals in an actual drinking setting would have difficulty in estimating their blood alcohol level. It was expected that greater experience with alcohol would be associated with poorer abilities to discriminate legal intoxication. Subjects were 99 volunteers selected from the patrons of two bars. Participants completed a brief questionnaire assessing their typical alcohol use, the number of drinks consumed on this particular occasion, and whether they believed that they were currently over the legal limit for intoxication. A breathalyzer was used to determine actual level of intoxication. Results generally supported the hypotheses. Situational factors, including experimenter and drinking location, affected accuracy of estimations. Actual BAL also had a significant effect on accuracy. Errors in estimation were most often in the direction of overestimating intoxication. There was also a sex of subject effect, with males being heavier drinkers and estimating intoxication more poorly than females. Results are discussed in terms of situation and expectancy effects.
Self-evaluation of performance and the ability to discriminate blood alcohol concentrations. [2019]Social drinkers who had been trained to discriminate their blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) tended to predict greater impairment of performance while drinking than did untrained controls, although their actual performance on coding tasks did not differ. It is suggested that training in BAC discrimination may enhance caution and concern about behavioral impairment while drinking.
Impact of providing drinkers with "know your limit" information on drinking and driving: a field experiment. [2021]Given that most effective alcohol harm-reduction laws specify the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) that constitutes illegal behavior (e.g., the .08% breath alcohol concentration legal limit), interventions that allow drinkers to accurately estimate their BACs, and thus better assess their risk, have potential importance to long-term driving-under-the-influence prevention efforts. This study describes a field experiment designed to test the impact on drinking of providing "Know Your Limit" (KYL) BAC estimation cards to individuals in a natural drinking environment.
Recognition of intoxication by alcohol counselors. [2019]Recent studies have found that police officers, bartenders, social drinkers, and trained interviewers are often unable to recognize when others are intoxicated. The present two studies were conducted to evaluate: (a) the recognition ability of alcohol counselors compared to mental health counselors, and (b) the recognition ability of less-experienced versus more-experienced alcohol counselors. Subjects viewed four videotapes of a 21-year-old male engaged in simulated counseling interviews after he was given drinks containing alcohol to achieve one of four target Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) goals: .00%, .05%, .10%, .15%. Results indicated that alcohol counselors were not uniformly more accurate than mental health therapists, nor were more-experienced alcohol counselors uniformly more accurate than less-experienced alcohol counselors at recognizing intoxication or estimating BAL. In addition, subjects generally underestimated the target's sober-intoxicated status and BAL when he was given alcohol, but almost every subject recognized that the target was at least moderately intoxicated when his BAL was .15%.
Underestimations of blood alcohol concentration predict event-specific negative consequences. [2015]The current study sought to establish in vivo misperception of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as a predictor of event-specific alcohol-consumption-related negative consequences. During spring 2010, 225 (56.4% male) college students, who had consumed at least one alcoholic drink within the 2 hr prior to assessment, completed a questionnaire, gave a breath sample to assess breath alcohol content, and later completed a follow-up questionnaire. Underestimation of BAC was predictive of event-specific, alcohol-consumption-related negative consequences, over and above other factors including total drinks consumed. This study highlights the need for more focused BAC education strategies at American universities.
Effects of feedback on legally intoxicated drivers. [2019]College-aged patrons leaving a drinking establishment were given feedback about their blood alcohol level (BAL): 24 were administered a Breathalyzer and were then read a statement on the consequences of driving with their BAL; 21 were shown a large chart and had to determine their own BAL from their weight and number of drinks consumed; and 21 were given no feedback. The two feedback groups were later collapsed. The subjects were also followed unobtrusively to determine whether they drove away from the premises. A total of 24 of the feedback subjects (47%) were legally intoxicated, but 83% of this group nonetheless drove after learning that they were legally intoxicated. In addition, when self-reports of consumption were compared with Breathalyzer BALs, a correlation of .82 was obtained.
Use of mindfulness training to improve BAC self-estimation during a drinking episode. [2023]Individuals are often inaccurate at estimating levels of intoxication following doses of alcohol. Previous research has shown that when required to estimate (BAC) at different time points, participants often underestimate their BACs and amounts of alcohol consumed. The present study aimed to increase drinkers' BAC estimation accuracy after drinking alcohol using mindfulness-based feedback to increase their awareness of the interoceptive cues associated with alcohol intoxication.
Self-estimation of blood alcohol concentration: a review. [2021]This article reviews the history of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) estimation training, which trains drinkers to discriminate distinct BAC levels and thus avoid excessive alcohol consumption. BAC estimation training typically combines education concerning alcohol metabolism with attention to subjective internal cues associated with specific concentrations. Estimation training was originally conceived as a component of controlled drinking programs. However, dependent drinkers were unsuccessful in BAC estimation, likely due to extreme tolerance. In contrast, moderate drinkers successfully acquired this ability. A subsequent line of research translated laboratory estimation studies to naturalistic settings by studying large samples of drinkers in their preferred drinking environments. Thus far, naturalistic studies have provided mixed results regarding the most effective form of BAC feedback. BAC estimation training is important because it imparts an ability to perceive individualized impairment that may be present below the legal limit for driving. Consequently, the training can be a useful component for moderate drinkers in drunk driving prevention programs.
Breath alcohol estimation training: behavioral effects and predictors of success. [2021]Breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) estimation training has been effective in increasing estimation accuracy in social drinkers. Predictors of estimation accuracy may identify populations to target for training, yet potential predictors typically are not evaluated. In addition, the therapeutic efficacy of estimation training as a preventive strategy for problematic drinking is unknown.