Cannabis and alcohol enforcement strategies across the U.S.

Objective: As the legalization of adult-use cannabis has expanded to include almost half of the states in the U.S., substance use-related enforcement responsibilities for state and local law enforcement agencies may have changed.

A Place of Last Drink Initiative: Effects on Various Types of Crime.

Background: Place of last drink (POLD) is a law enforcement strategy designed to decrease the service of alcohol to intoxicated patrons (i.e., overservice).

Does a place of last drink initiative affect the likelihood of alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons?

Background: Although the sale of alcohol to obviously intoxicated patrons (i.e., overservice) is illegal in 48 U.

The Interplay of Local- and State-Level Alcohol Policies in the United States.

Objective: Most research on alcohol control policies in the United States has focused on the state level. In this study, we assessed both local and state policy prevalence and restrictiveness in a nationwide sample of cities.

Method: We conducted original legal research to assess prevalence of local-level policies across 374 cities (48 states) in 2019 for the following seven policy areas: (a) drink specials; (b) beverage service training; (c) minimum age for on-premise servers and bartenders; (d) minimum age for off-premise sellers; (e) prohibitions against hosting underage drinking parties (i.

Effects of Sunday Liquor Sales Legalization on Alcohol Policy Attitudes and Alcohol Purchasing Behavior.

We examined how legalization of Sunday alcohol sales relates to attitudes towards Sunday sales, and how both attitudes and alcohol consumption patterns relate to Sunday alcohol purchasing. A total of 1,384 adults of legal drinking age completed a survey one year post-legalization of Sunday sales. A majority of respondents (51%) were supportive of Sunday sales legalization both before and after legalization.

Does a Place of Last Drink (POLD) Initiative Affect Alcohol Serving Staff Attitudes and Perceptions Related to Overservice of Alcohol?

: One enforcement strategy used to address illegal sales of alcohol to intoxicated patrons (i.e., overservice) is Place of Last Drink (POLD).

Alcohol Enforcement in the United States From 2010 to 2019.

Objective: Despite the important role of enforcement in reducing alcohol-related harms, few studies have assessed alcohol enforcement efforts, particularly over time. We assessed the prevalence of alcohol law enforcement strategies at two time points.

Method: Of a random sample of U.

Place of last drink enforcement: Effects on alcohol-related traffic crashes.

Background: Binge drinking can result in various types of harms including traffic crashes. Bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to patrons who are obviously intoxicated (i.e.

Alcohol-impaired driving enforcement priorities and strategies in a nationwide sample of U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Objective: Excessive alcohol consumption leads to a range of public health problems and social and financial burdens. Traffic crashes resulting from alcohol-involved driving are a major contributor to the overall health consequences of alcohol. Various laws and enforcement strategies aim to prevent alcohol-involved driving.

What is the likelihood that underage youth can obtain marijuana from licensed recreational marijuana outlets in California, a state where recreational marijuana is legal?

Objective: Since 2012, 19 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults ages 21 and older. Marijuana use at any level can impair driving performance. Prior research on enforcement of the minimum legal marijuana use age of 21 (MLMU-21) laws is limited.

Strategies Used by Local Law Enforcement Agencies to Prevent Overservice of Alcohol in the United States.

Overservice of alcohol, defined as commercial provision of alcohol to an individual who is obviously intoxicated, is illegal in most states and contributes to motor vehicle crashes and violence. Law enforcement agencies use various strategies that aim to reduce overservice at licensed alcohol establishments (e.g.

An examination of how alcohol enforcement strategies by sheriff and police agencies are associated with alcohol-impaired-driving fatal traffic crashes.

Over 10,000 people die in alcohol-impaired-driving traffic crashes every year in the U.S. Approximately half of alcohol-impaired drivers report their last drink was at a bar or restaurant, and most bars and restaurants serve alcohol to patrons who are already intoxicated, known as overservice.

Are people aware of the link between alcohol and different types of Cancer?

Background: Alcohol consumption is causally linked to several different types of cancer, including breast, liver, and colorectal cancer. While prior studies have found low awareness of the overall alcohol-cancer link, few have examined how awareness differs for each type of cancer. Greater awareness of risks associated with alcohol use may be a key factor in reducing alcohol-related cancer incidence.

The Effectiveness of Alcohol Impact Areas in Reducing Crime in Washington Neighborhoods.

Background: We evaluated the effectiveness of Alcohol Impact Areas (AIA) in reducing crime around off-premise alcohol outlets in 3 AIAs in Spokane and Tacoma, Washington, using an interrupted time series design with comparison groups. AIAs only exist in Washington and include designated areas in a city where specific brands of malt liquor are restricted. We hypothesized that mandatory restrictions on malt liquor sales in AIAs would be significantly associated with decreases in crime, especially less-serious crime.

Global assessment of national mandatory vaccination policies and consequences of non-compliance.

Background: Declining vaccination coverage and increasing hesitancy is a worldwide concern. Many countries have implemented mandatory vaccination policies to promote vaccination. However, mandatory vaccination policies differ significantly by country.

Effects of Restricting High Alcohol Content Beverages on Crime in California.

Policy restrictions on malt liquor sales have been adopted in several cities throughout the United States in an effort to reduce crime around off-premise alcohol outlets. Although California has implemented the most restrictions on malt liquor sales, no studies in the published literature have evaluated the effects of these policies on reducing crime. We evaluated the effectiveness of malt liquor restrictions on reducing crime around off-premise alcohol outlets in six California cities.

Variation in Alcohol Policy Enforcement Across Urban and Nonurban Communities.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to assess whether different types of communities (ie, urban, suburban, small town, and rural) vary in the alcohol enforcement activities they conduct.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from a national survey of local law enforcement agencies.

Data: The survey assessed enforcement of a range of alcohol policies at 1,082 law enforcement agencies.

What Affects College Students' Decision to Intervene or Not Intervene When Someone Is Drinking Too Much?

Objective: Medical amnesty policies aim to encourage individuals to help their peers who have been drinking too much by providing immunity for alcohol policy violations. We examined college students' decisions to intervene or not intervene when someone was drinking too much and reasons for not intervening.

Method: We conducted secondary analyses using data from college students ages 18-25 who participated in the Healthy Minds Study, a national survey of mental health and substance use (N = 30,785; 65% female).

Is Restricting Sales of Malt Liquor Beverages Effective in Reducing Crime in Urban Areas?

Objective: We evaluated the effects of outlet and small area level malt liquor policies on crime in 10 U.S. cities and hypothesized that more restrictive malt liquor policies would be associated with greater reductions in crime.

Attitudes and Practices Regarding Responsible Beverage Service: Focus Group Discussions With Bar and Restaurant Management and Staff.

Staff and management of bars and restaurants are the key players in assuring responsible beverage service (RBS) and preventing the overservice of alcohol to intoxicated patrons. We conducted six focus group discussions ( N = 42) with management and staff from bars and restaurants about RBS. We compared findings from these current discussions to results of focus group discussions conducted in the 1990s.

Health Needs and Experiences of a LGBT Population in Georgia and South Carolina.

The 2016 Municipal Equality Index rated Augusta, the largest city in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA), as one of the least lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) friendly cities in America. To understand the context of our region in relation to LGBT wellness, we conducted the first LGBT health needs assessment of the CSRA, assessing physical and mental health status and health care needs and experiences in the community. Participants (N = 436) were recruited using venue and snowball sampling and completed an anonymous online survey.

Mental Health Correlates of Cigarette Use in LGBT Individuals in the Southeastern United States.

Background: Smoking prevalence for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals is higher than for heterosexual, cisgender individuals. Elevated smoking rates have been linked to psychiatric comorbidities, substance use, poverty, low education levels, and stress.

Objectives: This study examined mental health (MH) correlates of cigarette use in LGBT individuals residing in a metropolitan area in the southeastern United States.