Using Enforcement to Reduce
Underage Drinking
Michael Sparks
Alcohol Policy Specialist
Michael@sparksInitiatives.com
Please answer, in the chat box:
1) What campus are you from?
2) What is your role in prevention?
3) Do you work with a coalition?
Today’s Discussion
Public Health Model of Prevention
Laws as one type of environmental prevention
Logic Model of Community Influences of
Underage Drinking
The role of law enforcement in reducing
underage drinking
How familiar are you with environmental
approaches/strategies?
A. Very familiar
B. Kind of familiar
C. Not familiar
Public Health Model
Individual
Alcohol
Environment
Alcohol-Related Problems
6
What works: Reviews of the U.S.
and global research literature
CDC Guide to
Community
Preventive
Services
Policy Approaches to Prevention
Formal legal and regulatory mechanisms, rules, and
procedures for reducing risky behaviors (e.g., the
consumption of alcohol or risky drinking behaviors)
Implementation and enforcement of these measures
Grube & Nygaard, 2001; Toomey & Wagenaar, 1999
 Targets the social, physical or public environment where
sales/use occurs
 Views alcohol and other drug problems not just as individual
addiction, but rather as the collective reflection of community
norms and practices
 Targets are policy makers and others with authority to change
environments
 Seeks to change physical, legal, economic & social processes
of communities
9
The Role of Laws in
Environmental Prevention
Purpose of Enforcement of Alcohol Policies
Decrease availability of alcohol by increasing
economic costs and opportunity costs
Deter drinking, heavy drinking, or drinking-related
problem behaviors
Moderate relations between drinking and problem
outcomes
Community Norms
Laws
Focus on Enforcement Itself
Discussion Questions
• What are the conditions in your
community that require some sort
of enforcement action?
Levels of Enforcement
Institutional
– Home
– School
Community
– Neighborhood
– City
– County
Society
– State
– Federal
– Parent
– Teacher/Administrator
– Association/Watch
– Police
– Sheriff
– ABC, DPS
– ATF, TTB
Levels of Enforcement
Institutional
– Home
– School
Community
– Neighborhood
– City
– County
Society
– State
– Federal
– Parent
– Teacher/Administrator
– Association/Watch
– Police
– Sheriff
– ABC
– ATF, TTB
Arrest Rate
Only 2 of every 1000 occasions of
underage drinking result in arrest
Source: Wagenaar & Wolfson, 1994
Action Against Outlets
Only 5 of every 100,000 occasions of
underage drinking result in action
against outlet.
Source: Wagenaar & Wolfson, 1994
Deterrence Theory
Legal threat of punishment encourages or prevents
behavior
Punishment must be:
– Certain
– Swift
– Severe
General and specific deterrence
Laws are effective when they are
perceived as…
Legitimate
Practical
Effective
Proportional to the problem
The Role of Coalitions in Promoting Effective
Enforcement
Key Coalition Functions:
 Include enforcement agency in all deliberations regarding enforcement





of policy at the start of the policy process
Build strong organizational and personal relationships with key
enforcement personnel
Identify shared self-interest associated with enforcement
Take responsibility for making the case to the community for the
importance of enforcement
Creatively collaborate to address enforcement’s financial constraints
associated with implementation
Use the media to publically support enforcement activities and give
credit to enforcement agency when they are carried out
Can you please type into your chat box examples
of enforcement strategies you have
implemented.
A Logic Model for
Reducing Underage Drinking…..
The Role of Enforcement in Impacting
Alcohol-Related Problems
Underage Drinking:
Basic Research
Evidence: Population Prevention Effects
Strong
Moderate
Low (target group only)
None (no target or
population)
Visible
Enforcement
Underage
Drinking Laws
Retail Availability
of Alcohol to
Youth
Price
Social
Availability of
Alcohol to
Youth
Alcohol-Related Problems
(Traffic crashes, Injuries,
School performance. Unsafe sex,
Violence, etc.)
Underage
Drinking
Drinking Beliefs
Community
Norms About
Youth
Drinking
Family, School,
and Peer
Influence
Drinking Context
Alcohol Promotion (Advertising,
Point of Sale Promotion ,
Sponsorship of Community
Events)
Holder/Saltz: Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation
Underage Drinking:
Evidence-based Theory of Change
Retailer Training & rewards
Compliance checks, citations,
license loss
Underage
drinking
laws
Visible
enforcement
Party patrol,
Shoulder taps,
Beer keg registration
Local
alcohol
policy
Community norms
about youth
drinking
Media advocacy
Retail Sale of
alcohol to youth
Social availability of
alcohol to youth
(parties, peers,
families)
Underage
Drinking
Family, School, &
Peer Influence
Legal risks for providing alcohol to underage
Does Enforcement Work?
Minimum Legal Drinking Age
James Fell et al.
The Impact of Underage Drinking Laws on Alcohol-Related Fatal
Crashes of Young Drivers
Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 2009
Methods
– Analysis of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System from 1982-2004
– Examined the effects of the minimum legal drinking age of 21 on the ratio of
drinking to non-drinking drivers under age 21 in fatal crashes
– Controlled for:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Zero Tolerance Laws
Graduated License Night Restrictions
Use/Lose laws
Administrative License Revocation
.10, .08 BAC per se
Mandatory seat belt laws
Per capita beer consumption
Unemployment rate
Vehicle miles traveled
Frequency of sobriety checkpoints
Number of licensed drivers
Ratio of drinking to non-drinking drivers
Age 26+ in fatal crashes
Ratio of drinking to non-drinking drivers age 26+ in fatal crashes
Fell et al., Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 2009 (cont)
Results
– Minimum legal drinking age was independently associated with a
16% decline in the ratio of drinking to non-drinking drivers in fatal
crashes under age 21
– Other laws that independently predicted lower involvement of
drinking drivers under age 21 in fatal crashes:
Use/Lose laws
↓5%
Zero tolerance laws
↓5%
0.08% BAC limit
↓ 8%
0.10% BAC limit
↓ 7%
Administrative license ↓ 5%
revocation (ALR)
– Seat belt laws
↓ 3%
–
–
–
–
–
Fell et al., Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 2009 (cont)
Conclusions
– Minimum legal drinking age of 21 reduced involvement of drinking
drivers under 21 in fatal crashes (16%)
– Zero tolerance laws and Use/Lose laws targeted drivers under 21
also produced reductions
– Laws targeting drinking drivers of all ages also reduced
involvement of drinking drivers under 21 in fatal crashes (0.08%
and .10% BAC limits, ALR, seat belt laws)
… but there’s more than just minimum legal
drinking age laws!
DUI Enforcement
General vs specific enforcement
Sobriety checkpoints
Saturation patrols
Revocation/suspension
Ignition interlock
Last drink
Check-in programs
Sobriety Checkpoints
Restrict traffic flow in a designated area and check drivers
for signs of impairment
Primarily general deterrence – increase perceived risk
High visibility – media coverage
Random breath test vs selective
Blitz vs regular
Shults, Elder, Sleet et al (2001)
– Review studies from 1980-2000
– 12 RBT studies: average 18% decrease across outcomes
– 11 SBT studies: average 20% decrease across outcomes
Recently updated previous checkpoint review
Added 15 studies from 2000-2012
– 10 studies examined alcohol-involved
fatal crashes -> 8.9% decrease
– Other 5 studies found decreases in:
% drivers above .08 (28-64%)
alcohol-involved fatalities/VMT (4.6%)
alcohol-involved collisions (19%)
nighttime crashes (22%)
Task Force Finding
“The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends publicized
sobriety checkpoint programs based on strong evidence of effectiveness in
reducing alcohol-impaired driving.”
DUI Checkpoints
Key Resource:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/alcohol/saturation_patrols/SatPats2002.pdf
Common Challenges
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Generating community/political will
Finding overtime dollars for police
Ensuring training on checkpoint best-practices
Supporting development of materials for dissemination
at checkpoint
Ensuring visibility -- using media to publicize
checkpoints before and after event
Upstream DUI Enforcement
It is too late once an intoxicated individual gets behind the
wheel
It is difficult to identify and apprehend intoxicated drivers
– It has been estimated that less than 1/1000 DUI trips results in an
arrest (Miller, Spicer, Levy, & Lestina, 1998)
Car crashes are but one of the many negative health
consequences associated with intoxication
Focusing exclusively on DUI enforcement may send the
message that, as long as someone is not driving, it is OK to
get intoxicated
Have your coalition/group participated in sobriety
checkpoints?
Yes
No
Underage Compliance Checks
Sting or Decoy buys
Police hire an underage (<21 years old) individual to attempt
to purchase alcohol
If an illegal sale is made, citation issued to either the seller
or the establishment
Penalty may vary from warning to a fine to a liquor license
suspension/revocation (usually depending on previous
citations)
Compliance Check Effectiveness
Growing research literature that compliance checks are effective
CDC conducted a review of studies that examined ‘enhanced enforcement’
– programs that increased or intended to increase frequency of compliance
checks
8 studies from 1994-2005
– all 8 studies examined sales to a decoy
average 42% reduction
– 3 studies examined alcohol consumption
20% reduction
2-7% reduction
4-6% relative decrease
Compliance Check Effectiveness
Task Force Finding
“The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends
enhanced enforcement of laws prohibiting sale of alcohol to
minors, on the basis of sufficient evidence of effectiveness in
limiting underage alcohol purchases. Further research will be
required to assess the degree to which these changes in retailer
behavior affect underage drinking.”
source: Elder, Lawrence, Janes, et al. (2007). Enhanced enforcement of laws prohibiting sale of alcohol to
minors: systematic review of effectiveness for reducing sales and underage drinking. Transportation Research
E-Circular 2007;Issue E-C123:181-8.
Compliance Checks
Key Resource:
http://www.udetc.org/aps/ComplianceChkDB.htm
Common Challenges
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Generating community/political support
Generating police support
Finding overtime dollars for police
Convincing state Liquor Control to partner
Building support for prosecuting violators
Has your coalition/group supported or sponsored
compliance check?
Yes
No
Party Patrols/Social Host Laws
Party Patrols/Social Host Laws
Problem Setting: Residential Parties
Son held drunken party for 600 friends
after banishing parents to bedroom of
their multi-million-dollar mansion
By Mail Foreign Service
UPDATED: 20:55 EST, 14 October 2010
Intent of Social Host Policies
• Change community CULTURE and CONDITIONS
• Change the FOCUS from underage drinker to
provider/enabler
• Decrease PROVISION
• Decrease furnishing alcohol to an underage person
• Change CONTEXT and SETTING
• Deter underage drinking parties
Social Host: the Evidence
Viewed as a useful tool by law enforcement officers
(Oceanside, CA and Vista, CA—see Evalcorp, 2009a)
May result in changes in youth norms related to the
riskiness of drinking (Long Beach City, NY—unpublished data)
May result in fewer calls for service, either overall, or
related to disturbances. For example, Petaluma, CA had
9.3% fewer calls for service related to disturbances from
the year prior to passage (2006) to the second year after
passage (2009) (Petaluma, CA—unpublished data).
San Diego County had 8% fewer disturbance calls from the
year preceding passage (2002) to the year following
passage (2004) of its SHO (UDETC, 2003)
Party Patrols
Enforcement strategy that targeting community high
priority underage drinking party areas.
– arranged to both deter parties (through LE visibility) and
find and address parties that are going on (through LE
action).
Law enforcement reports that party patrols can be
effective deterrents if there are existing
laws on the books that hold adults or other
responsible parties accountable for
underage drinking parties in homes.
Party Dispersal
An ongoing party is often difficult for officers to “break it
up” with maximum impact on deterring underage
parties from happening in the future and preventing
teens from fleeing the scene.
Party dispersal training gives officers
departments a strong foundation
systematically address parties and
underage drinkers and providers
responsible.
and
to
hold
Landlord Lease Agreements
Language that landlords include in leases that
prohibit underage parties from occurring.
– There are often fines and penalties that escalate to eviction.
Can effectively reduce the number of rental properties
in which loud and unruly parties occur; if, strongly
enforced and adopted by all/most landlords.
Party Patrols/Social Host Laws
Key Resource:
http://www.udetc.org/documents/Party_Patrol_Guidebook.pdf
http://venturacountylimits.org.s94613.gridserver.com/resource_documents/
model_sho_fnl_nashville.pdf
Common Challenges
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Identifying/adopting policy to enforce
Generating community/political support for policy
Generating police support to use resources
Finding overtime dollars for police
Training law enforcement to use enforcement
techniques
Building support for prosecuting violators
Has your coalition/group supported or sponsored
party patrols?
Yes
No
Has your coalition/group supported or sponsored
the adoption of a social host ordinance?
Yes
No
Three Enforcement Strategies Frequently
Used By Coalitions
1.
2.
3.
Compliance checks for sales to minors at offpremise outlets
Party patrols/social host laws
DUI checkpoints
Which of these strategies are you most interested
in considering?
A. DUI Checkpoints
B. Party Patrols
C. Social Host Laws
D. Compliance Checks
E. Landlord Lease Agreements
WHY?????
Questions About Enforcement
Strategies to Reduce
Alcohol Related Problems?
Safer California Universities
Project Goal:
To evaluate the efficacy of a
“Risk Management” approach to
alcohol problem prevention
NIAAA grant #R01 AA12516
with support from CSAP/SAMHSA.
Bob Saltz:
PRC Prevention Research Center
Integrated Intervention Strategies
for Off-Campus Parties
Compliance Checks
DUI Check Points
Party Patrols
Pass Social Host “Response Cost” Ordinance
A Social Host Safe Party Campaign
Practical Significance
At each campus, 900 fewer students drinking to intoxication at
off-campus parties and 600 fewer getting drunk at
bars/restaurants during the fall semester at intervention schools
relative to controls.
Equivalent to 6,000 fewer incidents of intoxication at off-campus
parties and 4,000 fewer incidents at bars & restaurants during
the fall semester at Safer intervention schools relative to controls
In addition…
No Displacement
So…What are the Implications for
Your Coalition?
Thank You!