Enforcing Alcohol Laws: Reducing Over-Consumption

描述（由申请人提供）：这个为期三年的研究项目的影响，执行法律，限制饮料的特殊做法，并禁止销售给醉酒的人对服务的做法，零售，前提酒精设施-高风险场所酒精相关的问题。研究表明：（1）改革服务器的做法可以减少顾客过度饮酒，从而减少与酒精有关的危害;（2）执行禁止危险服务器行为的法律，增加对法律的遵守。 这项研究将在弗吉尼亚州考察三个级别的执法效果。非控制级别的执法将包括给酒类销售点的警告信，但弗吉尼亚州酒精饮料控制部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更高的遵守向醉酒顾客和饮料特别法的销售;（2）通过最低限度的执法可以实现更高的遵守。 36个弗吉尼亚州社区将被分配到三个执法类别使用组随机试验设计。将在随机选择的机构（每个社区15个）中收集干预前和干预后的结果数据。数据收集将由研究小组成员假扮成醉酒顾客（以测试是否遵守醉酒法律），以及试图违反弗吉尼亚州的饮料特别法（如“买一送一”特价）下订单。 对所得数据的分析不仅涉及执法水平和遵守率，而且还将研究执法干预效果的程度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。这项研究评估了在真实的世界条件下实施的干预措施，代表了执法机构，法律的研究人员和公共卫生学者之间的罕见合作。这项研究将开辟新的天地，不仅检查执行饮料特别法的影响，而且还研究饮料特别法与销售给醉酒者的法律。这些法律的实施对减少严重的公共卫生问题大有希望。

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.