Conviction for drunkenness--a late symptom among female alcoholics.

A proband group was selected, consisting of 71 female alcoholics subjected to compulsory treatment by the Temperance Board in Malmö. For the period beginning 20 years before, up to, and including a maximum of 9 years after the first compulsory treatment, less than one conviction was expected, according to a calendar year- and age-specific risk table for Swedish women. During that period, 44 of the probands had been convicted for a total of 219 drunkenness offences. Before then, no offences were recorded. In relation to the expected incidence, the observed was not particularly high at the beginning of the period. From the 11th to the 2nd year before the first compulsory treatment, it increased to an extremely high level, where it remained. The ratio of offences per offender and year was constant during the observation period. The average age at the first offence was high: 35.5 years. Gonorrhoea, recorded criminal offence, and receipt of public assistance appeared much earlier. Drunknness was more common on Fridays and Mondays among the least complicated cases. A more even distribution on week-days seems to be characteristic for the most advanced alcoholics.