Novel police-led intervention for referring people charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs to treatment: a mixed methods feasibility study

Background Many individuals facing harmful substance use do not seek treatment. This study examines feasibility, reach, and engagement outcomes of a novel intervention, where police actively refer individuals charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) to substance use treatment.Method A mixed-methods design using anonymous quantitative data from 2021-2022 and 2024-2025, and interview data from police and substance use treatment centers (2021-2022). The intervention was implemented across seven of twelve Danish police districts, in collaboration with local treatment centers. Police encouraged individuals charged with DUI to be contacted by a substance use counselor who reached out to offer free-of-charge treatment, if accepted.Results The police actively referred 4,800 individuals, and 21.5% (1,034/4,800) agreed to be contacted by a counselor. Treatment centers received contact details for 842 individuals. Counselors successfully reached 475, and 264 expressed interest in engaging in continued support. Key implementation factors included intervention simplicity and leadership commitment.Conclusion The intervention proved feasible and enabled early contact between counselors and individuals charged with DUI, a population typically difficult to engage in substance use treatment. Findings suggest that police-led referrals are a promising road to bridge the treatment gap between at-risk individuals and treatment services.