Enforcing Alcohol Laws: Reducing Over-Consumption

描述(由申请者提供)：这个为期三年的研究项目研究了执行限制饮酒特殊做法和禁止向醉酒者销售的法律对零售、酒店内酒类场所的服务做法的影响，这些场所是与酒精有关的问题的高风险场所。研究表明：(1)改革服务器做法可以减少顾客过度饮酒，进而减少与酒精相关的危害；(2)执行禁止危险服务器行为的法律可以提高法律的合规性。 这项研究将考察弗吉尼亚州三个级别执法的效果。非控制级别的执法将包括向酒类销售点发出警告信，但弗吉尼亚州酒精饮料管制部门进行的卧底行动的数量将有所不同。这项研究的具体目的是确定：(1)加强执法是否会导致对醉酒顾客的销售和饮酒特别法律的遵守程度更高；以及(2)通过最低限度的执法可以实现更高的合规性。 36个弗吉尼亚州社区将被分配到三个执法类别，使用小组随机试验设计。干预前和干预后的结果数据将在随机选择的机构中收集(每个社区15个)。数据收集将由研究团队成员假扮成醉酒的顾客(以测试是否遵守醉酒法律的销售)，以及试图违反弗吉尼亚州的饮酒特别法律(如“二送一”特惠)下订单。 对结果数据的分析不仅将涉及执法水平和合规率，还将检查执法干预效果的规模和统计意义是否因社区规模或大学年龄人口的百分比而异。这项研究评估了在现实世界条件下实施的干预措施，代表了执法机构、法律研究人员和公共卫生学者之间罕见的合作。这项研究将开辟新的天地，不仅考察执行饮酒特别法的影响，还将研究饮酒特别法与向醉酒者销售法律相结合的问题。这些法律的实施对减少严重的公共卫生问题大有可为。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This three-year research project studies the impact of enforcing laws that restrict drink special practices and prohibit sales to intoxicated persons on the serving practices of retail, on-premise alcohol establishments-high-risk venues for alcohol-related problems. Research shows that: (1) reforming server practices can reduce over-consumption of alcohol by patrons, in turn reducing alcohol-related harms; and (2) enforcing laws that prohibit risky server behavior increases compliance with the laws. The study will examine the efficacy of three levels of enforcement in one state, Virginia. The non-control levels of enforcement will both include a warning letter to alcohol outlets, but will vary in the number of undercover operations conducted by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The specific aims of the study are to determine whether: (1) increased enforcement results in higher compliance with sales to intoxicated patrons and drink special laws; and (2) increased compliance can be achieved by minimal levels of enforcement. Thirty-six Virginia communities will be assigned to the three enforcement categories using a group randomized trial design. Pre- and post-intervention outcome data will be collected in randomly selected establishments (15 per community). Data collection will be done by research team members posing as intoxicated patrons (to test compliance with sales to intoxicated laws), as well as attempting to place orders in violation of Virginia's drink special laws (such as " two-for-one" specials). Analysis of the resulting data will not only address enforcement levels and compliance rates, but will examine whether the magnitude and statistical significance of the enforcement intervention effects vary by community size or the percent of the population that is college-aged. The study evaluates an intervention that is implemented in real world conditions and represents a rare collaboration between law enforcement agencies, legal researchers, and public health scholars. This study will break new ground by not only examining the impact of enforcing drink special laws, but also by studying drink special laws in tandem with sales to intoxicated persons laws. The enforcement of these laws has great promise for reducing serious public health problems.