Alcohol use is involved in a remarkable 62 percent of all arrests in the state of Wyoming, from drunk driving to domestic assaults, according to a study by the Wyoming Sheriffs and Chiefs Association.

The Jackson Hole Star Tribune reported Feb. 18 that the study also found that most arrestees who tested positive for alcohol were far above the .08 percent legal limit for intoxication, with an average blood-alcohol content of .159 percent.

The findings were based on a 2006 study of detention facilities statewide. "It really opened our eyes," said study leader Ernie Johnson, who said the findings show that substance abuse is the biggest problem facing Wyoming.

In Washakie County, 99 percent of arrests involved alcohol. Statewide, 23 percent of alcohol-involved arrests were for drunk driving, and 9.5 percent were for public intoxication.

The chairman of Wyoming's governor's advisory board on alcohol and other drugs said that the state has failed to keep pace with other states in implementing alcohol-control legislation. Bob Lampert, who also runs the state's correctional system, called on the state legislature to use a National Academies of Sciences Report on underage drinking as a guide for future legislation to control youth access to alcohol.