Circumstances of Last Drink Surveillance Project

Circumstances of Last Drink: ADEPT's Original Data Collection Project

How do we effect change to prevent individuals driving under the influence (DUI)? How can we prevent recidivism rates of individuals previously convicted of DUI's? The Circumstances of Last Drink/Drug (COLD) survey gathers valuable indicators through a surveillance data collection survey project by analyzing data collected from convicted DUI offenders in Orange County. The project has collected over 16,000 surveys at the time of conviction. The surveys are offered in five different languages.  

The COLD survey gathers information regarding demographics, impairment details (e.g., what substance(s) was used, time/day of arrest), driving under the influence, past behaviors (e.g. how often they drove under influence in the past year), and how their actions affected others (e.g., passenger(s), collision). This ongoing data collection effort has allowed for the development of a database which is both reliable (consistent questions, survey administrative protocols) and valid (sound questions, high response rate), which has been used to formulate data driven decisions. Survey information informs the delivery of effective prevention and treatment services.