# Leveraging Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring to Reduce Drinking among DWI Defendants

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER · 2020 · $660,868

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 This renewal extends our work during the last award period and seeks to translate these findings to the
criminal justice system. Our accomplishments include: (a) developing methods for processing transdermal
alcohol concentration data that yield clinically-meaningful quantification of drinking; (b) demonstrating
contingency management can be successfully implemented using transdermal alcohol monitors and that
contingency management can produce sustained reductions in heavy drinking in non-treatment-seeking
problematic drinkers; and (c) establishing collaborations within the judicial system. Specifically, we propose to
implement this contingency management program as an adjunctive intervention for driving while intoxicated
(DWI) offenders who are mandated to transdermal alcohol monitoring and the majority of whom continue to
misuse alcohol despite court prohibition while awaiting trial (pretrial period). Contingency Management and
Control groups will experience 8-weeks of intervention (or sham) and 12-months follow-up for alcohol use.
During the course of the study, we will examine how constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior relate to
observed drinking outcomes. Our primary aims are: to determine whether contingency management reduces
drinking among DWI offenders court-ordered to undergo transdermal alcohol monitoring; to evaluate the extent
to which reductions in drinking among DWI offenders assigned to the Contingency Management group are
sustained during follow-up; how outcomes relate to constructs identified in the Theory of Planned Behavior
(Attitudes, Social Norms, Behavioral Control and Intentions); and determine the costs, benefits, and net
benefits of this program on the criminal justice system. The results of this study will inform the eventual
integration of contingency management into traditional judicial approaches. Lastly, exploratory analyses will:
(a) examine how study participation relates to outcomes tracked by the criminal justice system; and (b) test for
impact of psychiatric or other substance use comorbidity; and (c) characterize the impact of alcohol use on
participants' lives.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9933759
- **Project number:** 5R01AA014988-15
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCIENCE CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Donald M Dougherty
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $660,868
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2005-04-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9933759

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9933759, Leveraging Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring to Reduce Drinking among DWI Defendants (5R01AA014988-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9933759. Licensed CC0.

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