01082118

Component

http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/159420.aspx

The deterrent approach to addressing alcohol-related problems is grounded in the theory that swift, certain, and severe punishment for an undesirable behavior will reduce its frequency. This approach has a long-standing and relatively successful history as the primary method of controlling alcohol-impaired driving but it has been underused as a tool for deterring retailer establishments from selling alcohol to minors. One likely result of this lax enforcement environment is that minors report that they can easily obtain alcohol from retail sources. These data are reinforced by studies that indicate that between 40% and 90% of retail outlets sell to underage buyers. In most U.S. states, laws against the sale of alcohol to minors can be enforced both by local law enforcement agencies and by alcohol beverage control (ABC) agencies. In practice, however, ABCs often lack sufficient resources to adequately fill their enforcement role, and local law enforcement agencies often lack training in enforcing underage drinking laws and devote their limited resources to other priorities. One important program that attempts to address these resource limitations is the federal Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws program, which allocates $25 million in block grants to the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to support enforcement of minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws, including laws against retail sales of alcohol to minors. Retailer compliance with MLDA laws is enforced by recruiting youthful looking “decoys” to attempt to purchase alcohol without identification to prove that they are of legal age. These decoys may or may not actually be under 21; if they are over 21, however, they are generally judged to appear younger. If alcohol is sold to the decoy, the establishment is cited for its violation. Penalties may include criminal prosecution or fines and alcohol license sanctions administered by the ABC agency. Administrative sanctions generally increase in severity with each subsequent offense, and may range from an official warning to suspension or revocation of the retailers license. In this review, the authors evaluate the effects of programs that increased or intended to increase the frequency of retailer compliance checks in a community.

01082101

English

pp 181-188

2007-11

Transportation Research Circular

Traffic Safety and Alcohol Regulation

Web

Figures (1) ; References

Compliance; Drinking establishments; Drunk driving; Law enforcement; Legal drinking age

Off-premise establishments; Underage drinking

Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor

TRIS, TRB

Nov 29 2007 2:37PM

• Alcohol Law Enforcement: Agencies, Methods, and Impact
• Alcohol Policies in the Americas
• Alcohol Prices and Traffic Safety
• Alcohol Regulation and Traffic Safety: An Overview
• Alcohol Regulation in Sweden and the European Union: Effects on Road Safety
• Alcohol Sales and Service to Underage Youth and Intoxicated Patrons: Effects of Responsible Beverage Service Training and Enforcement Interventions
• Detecting Alcohol Impairment by Observation of Intoxication
• Legal Framework for Alcohol Regulation in the United States
• Limits on Hours of Sales and Service: Effects on Traffic Safety
• Limits on Outlet Density and Location: Effects on Traffic Safety
• Minimum Purchase Age Laws: How Effective Are They in Reducing Alcohol-Impaired Driving?
• Status of 14 Under-Age-21 Drinking Laws in the United States
• The Effects of Establishing Closing Hours in Juarez, Mexico
• The Importance of Alcohol Regulation at All Levels: Bringing It All Together—Lessons from Underage Drinking Controls
• Traffic Safety and Alcohol Regulation: Overview and Summary