BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Alcohol abuse may be more prevalent in certain geographic areas, according to preliminary results of a study at Buffalo's Research Institute on Addictions. William Wieczorek, Ph.D. used spatial analysis to identify geographic clusters with high rates of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) offenders. Based on a geographic analysis of the home locations of over 15,000 DWI offenders, he identified "heavy drinking" communities in Erie County, New York.

The study found that while heavy drinking communities exist in all types of neighborhoods in Erie County, greatest concentrations were found in working class areas of Buffalo and the surrounding suburbs. Dr. Wieczorek suggests these areas need to be targeted for alcohol-related services, such as DWI prevention programs, alcohol treatment programs, and designated driver programs. DWI offenders were studied because of their high rate of alcohol dependence. About 50% of DWI offenders have severe alcohol problems. Also, the population of DWI offenders is very large. DWI is the most common crime in the United States, with 1.5 million arrests per year. "This project provides valuable information to planners and practitioners who want to target alcohol services to places with the greatest needs," noted Dr. Wieczorek.

Dr. Wieczorek presented these findings April 10 at the 1996 annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Wieczorek is a senior research scientist at the Research Institute on Addictions, part of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. He is also a research assistant professor in the University at Buffalo's Department of Geography and the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. Funding for this research was provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a component of the National Institutes of Health.