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Reginald G Smart

Publications and source records attributed to Reginald G Smart.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Alcohol consumption, alcoholics anonymous membership, and homicide mortality rates in Ontario 1968 to 1991.

BACKGROUND: Research has shown a strong link between alcohol use and a variety of problems, including violence. Parker and colleagues have presented a selective disinhibition theory for the link between alcohol use and homicide (and other violence) that posits a causal relationship that is also influenced by other situational and contextual factors. This model is particularly well suited for aggregate-level investigations. In this study, we examine the impact of alcohol factors, including consumption measures and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) membership rates, on homicide mortality rates in Ontario, and test predictions derived from the selective disinhibition model. METHODS: Time series analyses with ARIMA modeling were applied to total, male, and female homicide rates in Ontario between 1968 and 1991. The analyses performed included total alcohol consumption, spirits consumption, beer consumption, and wine consumption. Missing AA membership data were interpolated with cubic splines. RESULTS: For the total population and males, homicide rates were significantly and positively related to total alcohol consumption and to the consumption of beer and spirits. They were also negatively related to AA membership rates in the analyses involving spirits and wine and positively related to unemployment rates in the analyses involving beer, wine, and total alcohol. Among females, none of the measures were significant predictors of homicide mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide important support for the selective disinhibition model and confirm important relationships between per capita consumption measures and homicide mortality rates, especially among males, seen in other studies. Additionally, the results for AA membership rates are consistent with the hypothesis that AA membership and treatment for misuse of alcohol can exert beneficial effects observable at the population level.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Can we prevent road rage?

Road rage has become a serious concern in many countries, and preventive efforts are required. This article reviews what can be done to prevent road rage by exploring potential prevention avenues in five areas. First, legal changes aimed at increasing the penalties for road rage behavior could be instituted, drawing on models from aggressive-driving or impaired-driving laws. A second approach would involve the adoption of court programs for convicted road ragers. Third, car redesign offers a means of reducing crime through environmental design. Fourth, mass media education could be implemented to inform drivers of the risk from road rage and how to avoid situations that facilitate road rage. Finally, prevention efforts could be directed to long-term societal changes that emphasize structural modifications, such as reducing congestion on the roads, reduced driver stress, or promoting public transportation. The strengths and weaknesses of these strategies are discussed.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2006

Alcohol consumption, alcoholics anonymous membership, and suicide mortality rates, Ontario, 1968-1991.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to identify alcohol-related factors that influence mortality rates from suicide. Specifically, we examine the impact of per capita consumption of total alcohol, distilled spirits, and beer and wine; unemployment rate; and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) membership rate on total and male and female suicide mortality rates in Ontario between 1968 and 1991. METHOD: We studied the impact of alcohol consumption levels, AA membership rates, and unemployment rates on suicide mortality rates in Ontario from 1968 to 1991. Time series analyses with Auto Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) modeling were applied to total and male and female suicide rates. The analyses performed included total alcohol consumption, distilled spirits consumption, beer consumption, and wine consumption. Missing AA membership data were interpolated with cubic splines. RESULTS: Total alcohol consumption and consumption of each of beer, distilled spirits, and wine were significantly and positively related to total and female suicide mortality rates. AA membership rates were negatively related to total and female suicide rates. Although data for males did not reach significance (except for the relationship between wine consumption and suicide rate), the direction of effects was consistent with that observed for female and total suicide rates. Unemployment rates were positively related to male and total suicide rates in some models. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm the important relationships between per capita consumption measures and suicide mortality rates seen by previous investigators. Additionally, the results for AA membership rates are consistent with the hypothesis that AA membership and treatment for misuse of alcohol can exert beneficial effects observable at the population level.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Illicit drug use, alcohol use and problem drinking among infrequent and frequent road ragers.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between illicit drug and alcohol use, problem drinking, and road rage. Particular attention is devoted to the association between these behaviors and frequent involvement in road rage activities. The data are taken from the 2002 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Monitor, a representative telephone survey with a sample of 2421 adults aged 18 and older in Ontario. A cluster analysis was performed and analysis of variance procedures were used to test for group differences. The cluster analysis revealed five distinct groups involved in various types of road rage behavior. Frequent road ragers, accounting for 5.3% of the sample, were involved in the most severe forms of road rage behavior and were most likely (24%) to report problem drinking and past year cannabis (23.8%), cocaine (5.4%), and ecstasy (10%) use. These data indicate that illicit drug use and alcohol problems are significantly greater for those involved in the most serious forms of road rage behavior. Further work is needed to identify the mechanisms by which illicit drug use and problem drinking are linked to road rage.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The impact of driver education on self-reported collisions among young drivers with a graduated license.

In this study, we assess the impact of driver education on the risk of collisions in a Graduated Licensing System (GLS). Ontario's GLS requires all new drivers to successfully pass through two stages of graduated license (referred to as G1 and G2, respectively) before full licensure is granted. Surveys of driving behaviour and related factors were administered to Grades 11 and 12 students with a graduated license in seven Ontario schools in 1996 and 1998. A total of 1533 students completed the survey in 2 years. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significantly lower odds of self-reported collision involvement among G1 license holders with driver education (OR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12-0.83). No significant effects were observed for G2 license holders. Other significant predictors of collisions include sex of driver, months of licensure and kilometers driven for G2 license holders. These results suggest that the impact of driver education may be dependent on the stage of driver learning in which it occurs.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2005

Is road rage increasing? Results of a repeated survey.

PROBLEM: We report on trends in road rage victimization and perpetration based on population survey data. METHOD: Based on repeated cross-sectional telephone surveys of Ontario adults between July 2001 and December 2003, logistic regression analyses examined differences between years in road rage victimization and perpetration in the previous year controlling for demographic characteristics. RESULTS: The prevalence of any road rage victimization in the previous year decreased significantly from 47.5% in 2001 to 40.6% in 2003, while prevalence of any road rage perpetration remained stable (31.0% to 33.6%). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the odds of experiencing any road rage victimization was 33% higher in 2001 and 30% higher in 2002, than in 2003. DISCUSSION: Survey data provide a valuable perspective on road rage trends, but efforts to track road rage incidents is also needed. SUMMARY: In Ontario, the proportion of adults experiencing any road rage victimization decreased from 2001 to 2003 while the proportion reporting any road rage perpetration remained stable. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: None.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Cirrhosis mortality in Ontario: effects of alcohol consumption and Alcoholics Anonymous participation.

AIMS: We test the hypotheses that cirrhosis mortality rates are positively associated with per capita alcohol consumption and negatively associated with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) membership rates. DESIGN: The impact of alcohol consumption levels and AA membership rates on cirrhosis mortality rates in Ontario from 1968 to 1989 were examined. Time-series analyses with ARIMA modelling were applied to male and female cirrhosis mortality rates in three age groups: 15-44, 45-64 and 65 + years. Missing AA membership data were interpolated using two methods: linear splines and cubic splines. FINDINGS: In general, cirrhosis mortality rates were positively associated with alcohol consumption and negatively associated with AA membership. For some age and gender combinations, these effects were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The limits of this study include restrictions in the length of series available and in the ability to infer causality. Despite these limitations, these findings are consistent with previous research demonstrating that per capita consumption is a strong determinant of cirrhosis mortality rates, and also that higher levels of AA membership can reduce cirrhosis mortality rates.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Alcohol consumption and problems among road rage victims and perpetrators.

OBJECTIVE: Road rage has generated public concern; however, data on the causes of this behavior have not been available. We examine the alcohol consumption correlates of road rage victimization and perpetration based on a population survey of adults. METHOD: Data are based on the 2001-2002 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Monitor, a repeated cross-sectional telephone survey of Ontario adults aged 18 and older (N = 2,610). Logistic regression analyses were performed with drinking measures (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT] consumption, dependence and problems) and demographic factors as independent variables. RESULTS: In the past year, 44.4% of respondents reported that someone shouted, cursed or made rude gestures at them, 6.0% were threatened with damage to their vehicle or personal injury, and 5.2% had someone attempt to or actually damage their vehicle or hurt them. Over the same period, 32% admitted shouting, etc., at someone, 1.7% threatened someone, and 1.0% attempted to or actually did damage someone's vehicle or hurt someone. Univariate analyses revealed several significant relationships between road rage and alcohol measures. Multivariate analyses revealed that the AUDIT alcohol problems measure was most consistently associated with measures of road rage victimization and perpetration, including reporting attempting or actually hurting someone or attempting or actually damaging his or her vehicle. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate there is a significant relationship between alcohol problems, as measured by the AUDIT, and road victimization and perpetration. Further work must be undertaken to identify the mechanisms involved.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2003

The effects of drinking-driving laws: a test of the differential deterrence hypothesis.

AIMS: Ontario introduced an Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension (ADLS) law in 1996, whereby a person with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit of 80 mg%, or who refused to provide a breath sample, would have his or her driver's licence suspended immediately for a period of 90 days. We test the differential deterrence hypothesis which would predict that social or lighter drinkers would be more affected by the Administrative Driver's License Suspension law than heavier drinkers. DESIGN: Data from the 1996 and 1997 cycles of the Ontario Drug Monitor, a general population survey of Ontario adults (monthly cross-sectional surveys), were employed (response rate 64-67%). Analyses were restricted to drivers who reported at least some drinking during the last year (n = 3827). The total number of drinks consumed during the past 12 months was analysed with analysis of variance. FINDINGS: We found that the mean alcohol consumption of those who reported drinking-driving increased significantly after the ADLS was introduced, whereas the alcohol consumption of those who did not drive after drinking remained the same. CONCLUSIONS: The limits of this study include a lack of comparison data from regions without ADLS, a reliance on self-report measures, possible age restrictions of the findings and the fact that only an inferential test of the differential deterrence hypothesis is permitted by the data. Despite these limitations, these findings are consistent with the prediction that lighter or more moderate drinkers will tend to stop driving after drinking completely, and thus drop out of the drinking-driving population when the ADLS law was introduced, leaving heavier drinkers in this population. It will be important to continue to examine the dynamics of differential deterrence over a longer interval.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Psychiatric distress among road rage victims and perpetrators.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between psychiatric distress and road rage, paying particular attention to the potential link between psychiatric illness and frequent involvement in serious forms of road rage. METHOD: This study reports data on road rage involvement, demographic characteristics, and mental health for a representative sample of 2610 adults in Ontario. The mental health indicator was the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. RESULTS: A cluster analysis revealed 5 distinct groups of people affected by road rage. The most serious offenders (referred to hereafter as the hard core road rage group), representing 5.5% of those affected, exhibited frequent involvement in the most severe forms of road rage and were the most likely (27.5%) to report psychiatric distress. CONCLUSIONS: Road rage, particularly experiences of victimization, is related to psychiatric distress. Evidence of psychiatric distress was highest among hard core road rage perpetrators, individuals noted for frequent involvement in serious aggressive and violent conduct. Further research is needed on violence and road rage and its link to mental health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

The "homogamy" of road rage: understanding the relationship between victimization and offending among aggressive and violent motorists.

The issue of "road rage" has received increasing media and scholarly attention in recent years. Using a representative sample of 2610 adults from Ontario, involvement with road rage was surveyed across demographic subgroups. Incidents of road rage were divided into two categories, verbal-gesturing road rage and physical-threats road rage. Drawing upon violence and criminological literature, experiences of road rage victimization and offending were explored, as well as the extent to which individuals were simultaneously the victims and perpetrators of road rage. Results challenge findings from the violence literature that males and young adults have the greatest propensity for violent victimization. Road rage offending was predominantly a male activity, while there were no gender differences in victimization. Moreover, road rage was not isolated among young adults; rather, road rage was prominent across all ages, with the exception of seniors. Consistent with the existing literature, road rage was higher in urban settings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

The epidemiology of alcoholic liver disease.

This article describes the various forms of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), with particular emphasis on cirrhosis, the form of liver disease that often is most associated with alcohol abuse and about which the most information is available. Epidemiological research has evaluated the prevalence of ALD and the factors that often contribute to the disease. Although the most potent factor in ALD is the excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, gender and ethnic differences also account for some important variations in rates of liver disease. Mortality rates from cirrhosis have declined in the United States and some other countries since the 1970s. A number of factors may have contributed to this decline, including increased participation in treatment for alcohol problems and Alcoholics Anonymous membership, decreases in alcohol consumption, and changes in the consumption of certain types of alcoholic beverages.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed2002

Beliefs about the cardiovascular benefits of drinking wine in the adult population of Ontario.

AIMS: to explore beliefs about the cardiovascular benefits of drinking wine in the Ontario population. DESIGN: secondary analysis of data from a provincial survey of adults. PARTICIPANTS: Ontarians aged 18 or older (n = 606) from Ontario living in households and participating in a telephone survey. MEASURES: responses to questions concerning beliefs that wine drinking may reduce the risk of heart disease. Self-reports of age, gender, quantity and frequency of wine drinking, drinking problems, and existence of a diagnosis of heart disease. FINDINGS: a majority of respondents believed that wine drinking reduces heart disease. Almost all (87.6%) said that drinking one or two drinks a day would reduce heart disease. Belief in the health benefits of wine drinking was more common among men, more frequent drinkers, and wine drinkers. CONCLUSIONS: beliefs in the health benefits of wine drinking is common amongst Ontario adults and is consistent with many recommendations by health authorities. The study should be replicated with larger samples in a variety of countries with different drinking patterns.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The early effects of Ontario's Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension law on driver fatalities with a BAC > 80 mg%.

BACKGROUND: On November 29, 1996, Ontario introduced an Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension (ADLS) law, which required that anyone charged with driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over the legal limit of 80 mg% or failing to provide a breath sample would have their licence suspended for a period of 90 days at the time the charge was laid. This study evaluates the early effects of Ontario's ADLS law on alcohol-involved driver fatalities. METHODS: Interrupted time series analysis with ARIMA modelling was applied to the monthly proportion of drivers killed in Ontario with a BAC over 80 mg% for the period Jan. 1, 1988 to Dec. 31, 1997. RESULTS: A significant intervention effect was found, with ADLS being associated with an estimated reduction of 17.3% in the proportion of fatally injured drivers who were over the legal limit. CONCLUSION: These data provide an early indication that the law resulted in some success in reducing alcohol-related driver fatalities.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The prevalence of road rage: estimates from Ontario.

BACKGROUND: "Road rage" has increasingly generated public concern, however, the prevalence of this behaviour has not been available. We examine the prevalence and demographic correlates of road rage victimization and perpetration based on a population survey of adults in Ontario. METHODS: Data are based on the CAMH Monitor, a repeated cross-sectional telephone survey of Ontario adults (n = 1,395). The contribution of demographic factors to road rage was examined with logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: About half of respondents (46.6%) were shouted at, cursed at or had rude gestures directed at them in the past year, and 7.2% were threatened with damage to their vehicle or personal injury. Nearly a third of respondents (31.7%) admitted to shouting, cursing, etc. at someone, and 2.1% threatened to hurt someone or damage their vehicle. Being a Toronto resident, being younger, and earning a higher income were associated with greater likelihood of being a victim of shouting, cursing and rude gestures; however, income was not associated with being threatened with vehicle damage or injury. The likelihood of admitting to shouting, etc. at someone was greater for males, younger respondents, Toronto residents, higher income earners, and never married respondents; however, threatening someone was associated with younger age and lower education level. CONCLUSION: These results provide a first indication of the prevalence of road rage in Ontario. Road rage, in its milder forms, appears to be common, involving between a third and a half of respondents as either a victim or a perpetrator. Nearly 1 in 10 Ontario residents were threatened with damage or personal injury.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Causes and consequences of air rage in Canada: cases in newspapers.

OBJECTIVES: To outline the causes and consequences of air rage, describe victims and perpetrators, suggest hypotheses for further study and compare road rage to air rage cases. METHOD: We analyzed 29 air rage cases reported in the Canadian Press for the time period 1998 to 2000. RESULTS: It was found that excessive alcohol use and tobacco smoking were the most important precipitating factors. Physical aggression was common in air rage but serious injuries were not. The psychological stress of air rage for passengers must be considerable but it has not been assessed. Air rage and road rage are predominantly attributable to young males. However, alcohol and tobacco use are not important factors in road rage. DISCUSSION: Preventing air rage will be difficult and will depend on better training for airline staff. More research is needed on air rage, especially the role of mental illness and prescription drug use. Prospective studies of air rage cases are needed.

Aggression↗