Strategies

Enable law enforcement to immediately take the license of a driver who fails or refuses to take a chemical test for alcohol

Expand the role of allied dental professionals (e.g., hygienists, therapists, etc.) via changes to statute, dentist supervision requirements, etc.

Set legal limits for drivers’ blood alcohol concentrations (BACs)

Implement checkpoints where law enforcement officers can stop drivers suspected of drinking and driving and assess their level of alcohol impairment

Adjust and monitor fluoride levels in public water supplies to reach and retain optimal fluoride concentrations

Involve consumers in health care governance via roles on governing boards, advisory committees, or shorter-term special projects

Encourage use of designated drivers via population-based mass media campaigns, incentive programs based in drinking establishments, and other efforts

Increase patients’ health-related knowledge via efforts to simplify health education materials, improve patient-provider communication, and increase overall literacy

Strengthen policies that mandate ignition interlock installation in vehicles to prevent operation by a driver with a high blood alcohol concentration

Use mass media campaigns to persuade individuals to avoid drinking and driving or to prevent others from doing so; campaigns often focus on the negative consequences of alcohol-impaired driving