Sunday, December 5, 3:00 - 4:30p |
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| C1 |
Alcohol no ordinary commodity – 2nd edition: International perspectives on applications and implications
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This session builds on several the emerging research findings that were highlighted in the plenary session on Sunday December 5th. The five presenters in this concurrent session are co-authors of Alcohol No Ordinary Commodity: Research and Public Policy, second edition, T. Babor et al., published in 2010. New The first presentation by Thomas Babor explores key underlying dynamics and principles of why some interventions/policies impact population levels of high-risk drinking and damage from alcohol and others have not. Next, New Esa Österberg’s presentation about tax measures – shown to be among the most potent strategies for reducing alcohol-related harm. Norman Giesbrecht explores new approaches for making persuasion and education more effective and relevant as part of a comprehensive prevention strategy. New Robin Room will address the international level: global patterns and problems, and building a concerted response. The final presentation by Sally Casswell outlines the key challenges and critical next steps of moving from a Global Alcohol Strategy, approved by WHO member states in May 2010, toward a Framework Convention on Alcohol. |
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| C2 |
Using evidence to shape strategies to prevent excessive drinking |
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There is a growing body of scientific evidence on the epidemiology of alcohol consumption, and on effective policies for preventing the third leading cause of preventable death in the US, excessive drinking. This evidence can be used to highlight the public health and social costs of excessive drinking and provide decision-makers with the information they need to make sound policy decisions. This session will familiarize attendees with resources that can provide evidence that can support arguments for improved alcohol policies, and offers a case study of how that can be done. We will first provide an overview of new public health surveillance findings on binge and underage drinking and discuss tools that can be used to assess excessive drinking at the state and local levels. We will then summarize results of several recent systematic reviews of policy interventions that were conducted for the Guide to Community Preventive Services. The evidence in favor of the following effective strategies will be summarized: raising alcohol taxes; reducing days and hours of sale; and dram shop liability. We will conclude with a discussion of challenges associated with using these and other resources to help shape evidence-based prevention strategies in New Mexico. |
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| C3 |
| Building a charge for harm alliance: Campaigning to hold big alcohol accountable |
| Bruce Livingston and Sarah Mart |
| Underage drinking is responsible for a catastrophic amount of alcohol-related harm. Low pricing of alcohol products, especially those with appeal to youth, is a major contributing factor to underage consumption. New taxes or fees that would hold Big Alcohol accountable for a fair share of alcohol-related harm would result in higher product prices and a reduction in underage consumption and harm. This workshop will discuss an ongoing Charge for Harm campaign in California being driven by a strong, growing, broad-based, statewide alliance of support committed to reducing alcohol-related harm. Organizing, setting goals, choosing targets and tactics, engaging and activating constituents, allies and opponents, will be covered. |
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| C4 |
| Assessing the impact of the aggregate policy environment on alcohol consumption patterns and related outcomes |
| Tim Naimi, Darin Erickson, Toben Nelson, and Paul Gruenwald |
| Alcohol policies, which comprise the laws, regulations and practices related to alcohol sales and consumption, are promising means to reduce alcohol-related harms. Alcohol control policies tend to co-occur in practice, but most existing alcohol policy studies examine the effects of a single policy. Studies on the effect of the aggregate policy environment are needed to develop a framework to understand how combinations of policies interact with one another and to assess the impact of the overall policy environment on drinking behavior and its negative consequences. In this panel discussion, we will: 1) provide an overview of existing alcohol policies; 2) describe previous efforts to characterize the aggregate alcohol policy environment worldwide and in the U.S.; 3) describe two complementary approaches to studying state alcohol control policies in the United States in aggregate from two new NIH-funded projects using data from the Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) and present preliminary findings; 4) discuss available data resources (including APIS) and data needs for alcohol policy research; 5) discuss future directions for research on the effect of multiple alcohol control policies. |
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| C5 |
| New Technological solutions to reduce drunk driving: Alcohol ignition interlocks |
| Robyn Robertson, Robert Maccarone, and J.T. Griffin |
| An alcohol interlock is a breath testing device that connects to the vehicle starter or other on-board computer system. It prevents the vehicle from starting if a breath test reveals a breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) exceeding a pre-set limit (usually .02 percent). These programmable devices require drivers to continue to pass repeated breath tests while the vehicle is in use and also possess a range of anti-circumvention features. Interlocks utilize sophisticated technology and their use is supported by a substantial body of research demonstrating their effectiveness. More recently, efforts have focused on the development of effective legislation, policies and programs to guide the implementation of these devices. Jurisdictions across North America and around the world are now moving to improve the delivery of these devices and expand applications beyond impaired drivers to other classes of drivers. This workshop will contain information about this technology, the research supporting its use, and international strategies to strengthen program implementation, and demonstrate an online curriculum designed to meet the educational needs of diverse practitioners. Experiences with program implementation, information about legislative initiatives in the U.S., and the development of a new alcohol sensing technology for all new vehicles will also be shared. |
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| C6 |
| Alcohol impact fees in California: A model for the U.S. |
| Michael Sparks, Dave Sears, and Carol Cannon |
| California municipalities have a history of using land use tools including conditional use permits to address alcohol outlet-related public health problems. In 1993, the City of Oakland greatly expanded this authority by enacting a “deemed approved” ordinance that placed a set of nuisance related “Performance Standards” on existing outlets. The ordinance includes an annual fee on all alcohol retailers subject to the new law. The fee is covers the costs of education programs to promote responsible retail practices and enforcement, to insure compliance with the nuisance standards. At least 19 additional California municipalities have enacted deemed approved ordinances using the Oakland model, but only some have included an annual fee. Within the current the economic climate, municipalities without a fee are now struggling to implement their ordinance effectively. Their experience provides important lessons for local jurisdictions in other states considering the adoption of similar ordinances, particularly the need for an on-going funding stream to prevent alcohol outlet related problems. This workshop will provide an overview of the experience with using impact fees. It will include discussions regarding optimal fee structures and issues related to enactment, implementation and evaluation. Short case studies will be presented to highlight successes and challenges. |
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Sunday, December 5, 4:45 - 6:15p |
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| C7 |
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This session focuses on challenges facing effective public policy in the Americas and examples of how to address these challenges. The three presentations have common themes – the high burden of alcohol and high-risk drinking impacting all sectors of society, frustrations in raising awareness of this burden and developing a ‘dose appropriate’ response, combined with examples of innovative, evidence-based initiatives that reduce harm and promote health. In the first presentation, New Maristela Monteiro offers several exemplary policy responses to the high rates of alcohol-related harm in Latin America and the Caribbean. New Then Dafna Kanny outlines the epidemiology of excessive alcohol use in the United States and recent initiatives to respond to these trends. In the third presentation Norman Giesbrecht provides an overview of response challenges during a time of increasing overall consumption in Canada. These presentations provide a brief snapshot of highlights in alcohol epidemiology and policy in the Americas, and are designed to generate discussions of knowledge exchange, advocacy and research opportunities. |
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| C8 |
Covering the costs of local alcohol enforcement efforts: Perspectives from advocates, elected officials and evaluators on the passage and history of Alameda County's alcohol outlet licensing |
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The Alameda County Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance regulating alcohol outlets in the unincorporated areas of the county to hold licensees accountable to the community, ensure responsible management of outlets, and reduce negative impacts related to alcohol sales and outlet density, and establishes an annual fee to cover the costs of implementing the ordinance: annual inspections, compliance checks, and responsible beverage server training. CommPre, the Sheriff's Department, Environmental Health, Planning Department and the evaluator meet quarterly to monitor progress and recommend improvements. Linda Pratt will describe the history of drafting and adopting of the ordinance, the stakeholders who worked on passage, the perspective of the elected official who sponsored the ordinance and ongoing accountability to the community. Supervisor Nathan Miley, the elected official who sponsored the ordinance, will discuss the value and necessity of imposing a fee to cover enforcement costs. Robert Nash Parker will present information on the crime statistics analysis being undertaken to establish baseline and begin to assess the crime trends around outlets since passage. Linda Bosma will discuss working with county stakeholders to identify benchmarks and indicators to assess the impact of the ordinance. |
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| C9 |
Alcohol and other drug prevention on campus: Translating research to policy
New Presentations: Clapp, Saltz, Segars |
| John Clapp, Robert Saltz, Lance Segars, and Barbara Ryan |
| Developing, implementing, and enforcing effective alcohol and other drug abuse (AOD) prevention policies is how cultural or environmental change occurs on a college campus. Fundamental to adopting effective policies is learning how to translate the research science into practices that work in campus communities to reduce AOD-related problems. This session will: 1) Discuss the current state of the AOD prevention policy research field; 2) Explore the challenges in effectively translating research into effective policies; 3) Provide case study examples of campus and community coalitions that successfully used science to bring about environmental change trough policy and enforcement; and 4) Describe the services that are available from the Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention to assist campuses in choosing research-based strategies aimed at reducing high-risk and illegal alcohol and other drug abuse and attendant consequences. |
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| C10 |
Alcohol use and policy in the U.S. active duty military |
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Promoting responsible alcohol use among service members is of high concern to military leaders and policymakers. This symposium examines alcohol use by active duty personnel, discusses military alcohol policy, and describes programs and initiatives aimed at encouraging conscientious use. The first paper draws on comprehensive worldwide surveys to examine trends in binge and heavy drinking, alcohol-related problems, compares findings with civilian counterparts, and discusses policy implications. The second paper examines policy and administrative influences on alcohol use in the military. Policy influences include the amount of alcohol permitted in barracks/dormitories and reports of how this policy is enforced. Administrative factors include command influence and fear of military consequences. The third paper describes a study examining a partnership of the Air Force with local communities to enforce underage drinking laws and reports early findings on drinking behaviors among junior airmen. The fourth presentation by a senior Army official presents information about Army alcohol policies, programs, and initiatives to address alcohol misuse by the DoD's largest service. The fifth presentation by a senior DoD official provides the perspective of the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs on alcohol policy and efforts to deglamorize alcohol use. |
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| C11 |
| Local alcohol policy in the Netherlands: How we learned from experiences in the US |
| Wim van Dalen and Fieke Franken |
| In the past five years the local alcohol policy in the Netherlands has shown a strong development. The foundations of this policy are based on research results of the knowledgeable American experts Robert Reynolds and Harold Holder. Crucial is the restriction of the availability of alcohol for youth. In the Netherlands youth starts with use of alcohol on a relatively young age (13 years) and the percentage of young binge drinkers in the Netherlands is one of the highest of Europe. A major problem is the easy availability and the low price of alcohol in supermarkets, mainly for beer. The easy availability of alcohol is registered in more than 25 regions by use of mystery-shopping research. STAP, The Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy, has written, commissioned by the Dutch government, a manual for municipalities in which they are advised about the implementation of an effective local alcohol policy. STAP has also written a manual for local alcohol policy in order of the European Commission for all member states of the European Union. In this contribution we show some of the resistances for implementation of effective local alcohol policy in the Netherlands and Europe, and the lessons we can learn from the implementation processes and in what way the Netherlands differs from the US in the development of local alcohol policy. |
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| C12 |
Successes from across the country implementing alcohol science based strategies |
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A panel will present successes from across the country and the US territories utilizing effective environmental. This panel will include presenters with strong backgrounds in law enforcement, youth engagement, leadership development, improvement of health and safety programs, military populations and the judicial community. The audience can expect to be engaged in this interactive session with discussions and exact examples of successes outcomes from across the country and the US territories created with the development of evidence based strategies, greatly impacted by current and ground breaking research and data. They will come away with an understanding of how law enforcement and communities can work together to use science based strategies to reduce underage drinking in communities; an examination of recent successes in military, and college environments regarding reductions in underage alcohol access and finally they will learn how other communities have implemented successful policy development and how to foster unique coalitions working with the judicial community. |
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Monday, December 6, 11:00a - 12:30p |
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| C13 |
| New How to raise alcohol taxes utilizing lessons from tobacco tax campaigns |
| Janet Williams, Frank Chaloupka, and Vincent DeMarco |
| During the 11 years of the SmokeLess States National Tobacco Policy Initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 35 states increased there tobacco taxes. Since 2005, many of those states increased their taxes two or three times. Today the average tobacco tax is $1.45 a pack. On July 1, 2010, the tax on a pack of cigarettes in New York is $4.35. Voters overwhelming support raising tobacco taxes and there has been no political consequences for legislators who vote for higher tobacco taxes. So why haven't coalitions been as successful in raising alcohol taxes? Polling indicates that alcohol taxes are equally supportive by voters especially when used to address alcohol related problems or for prevention programs. What did the tobacco campaigns do differently? This workshop will breakdown the steps and strategies used by tobacco control advocates and provide information on adapting them for alcohol tax campaigns. Participants will have the opportunity to complete group exercises that will take them through the planning and execution process. Panelists will include national experts and state advocates who successfully carried out tobacco tax campaigns. |
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| C14 |
| New A comprehensive examination of social host laws: Opportunities for research and practice |
| Kimberly Wagoner, Michael Sparks, and Mark Wolfson |
| Underage drinking continues to be a major public health concern, partially due to the ease in which adolescents obtain alcohol and consume it in private locations. States and municipalities have implemented a variety of strategies to counteract this, including adopting public policies focused on underage alcohol use in residential settings, termed social host laws. The proposed panel combines practice and research to provide a comprehensive examination of these laws. The panel will begin with an overview of this strategy, including information on different types of social host laws, implementation strategies and data communities should track to determine the impact of this environmental strategy on local conditions related to underage drinking. In addition, we will examine the relationship of state and local liability of social host laws focused on hosting underage drinking parties with adolescent alcohol use. Three waves of cross sectional data from over 11,000 14-20 year olds, nested within 68 communities in five states, will be examined to determine associations between social host liability and drinking location, peer drinking group size, past 30-day drinking, heavy episodic drinking and associated non-violent consequences using data from the national evaluation of the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Randomized Community Trial (EUDL-CT). |
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| C15 |
| Bringing a community together to reduce underage alcohol consumption through ordinances, diversion, and a pact |
| Robert Reff, Jeff Oxton, and Matt Staehling |
| Last fall, university administrators, community members, police, and city administration discussed ways for reducing high-risk drinking in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus in St. Cloud, Minn. These discussions led to four new ordinances being proposed. The ordinances adopted include Social Host, Disruptive Intoxication, and Provisional Licensing for Liquor establishments. The fourth ordinance attempted to regulate drink specials. This ordinance failed, in part, because of a pact offered to the city by the Hospitality Association. Approximately five years ago, the state judiciary made underage alcohol consumption a payable offense. Since then, the Police Department has written approximately six thousand underage alcohol citations. The mayor and the president of the University challenged their respective areas to reduce underage consumption. This past summer, the city unveiled the St. Cloud IMPACT Diversion Program designed to offer individuals who have been charged with an underage alcohol violation the opportunity to receive education and prevention services. We will present the process of passing and implementing these new ordinances and the diversion program. Data will be presented to show the impact of these changes. We will discuss lessons learned from entering into a pact rather than passing an ordinance. |
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| C16 |
| Terminology issues in alcohol policy development |
| Barbara Ryan, Robert Denniston, Richard Lucey, Jr., and Thomas Workman |
| The terminology used in alcohol research, prevention, and policy has a potential effect on what people think and feel about the problems related to alcohol use, while also defining the boundaries of potential solutions to consider. This session will consider the role that terminology and language play in promoting effective public and social policies to reduce individual and societal problems related to alcohol availability and use. It will also consider the terminology of alcohol policy research and how it affects adoption of effective policies and the local, state, national and international levels. It will examine such terms as evidence-based prevention, environmental approaches, policy change, and similar terms that are often confusing, sometimes interchangeable, and want for a clear and consistent definition. In addition, we will consider the various systems used to determine what is “effective” such as SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), the Department of Justice’s Blueprints, the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Principles of Effectiveness, and the Department of Education’s Principles of Effectiveness as they relate to policy development and implementation. |
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| C17 |
| New Examining the San Diego alcohol beach ban: Evidence for success and displacement |
| John Clapp, Kathleen Lippitt, and Robert Hall |
| In this workshop we will present a case study related to San Diego, California's ban on alcohol consumption on public beaches. Specifically we will examine the incidents that lead up to the policy, the community organizing efforts employed to develop and implement the policy, and the outcomes both intended and unintended. We will discuss the issue of displacement in environmental alcohol prevention and suggest a model for future policy development for this and similar issues. |
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| C18 |
| The role of state attorneys general in limiting youth access to alcohol |
| Alan Lieberman and Marlene Trestman |
| State Attorneys General have played an increasingly active role in recent years in addressing youth access to alcohol. Using lessons learned from multistate efforts to fight Big Tobacco, State AGs have worked together since 2005 through the National Association of Attorneys General concerning alcohol products that have particular appeal to young persons and also pose safety risks, and marketing tactics that target youth. State AGs have employed consumer protection investigation and enforcement authority to curtail unfair and deceptive practices within their own states and a strong collective voice to call upon federal agencies to take action on the national level. The panelists will provide an update on specific actions taken by the attorneys general. |
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Monday, December 6, 2:15 - 3:45p |
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| C19 |
| Social host liability ordinances: Arizona Tres Pueblos project |
| Cynthia Schaider and Rodolfo Calvillo |
| Facing increasing incidences of underage drinking, three small communities in rural Arizona formed the Tres Pueblos Project to address root causes of the problem. Needs assessment data indicated youth were gaining access to alcohol through home-based and adult-peer parties. Learn how the coalition successfully implemented social host liability ordinances in their communities, and sparked a state-wide social host liability movement in rural and metropolitan communities. This session will address the three-tier process of culturally competent community preparation and mobilization, advocacy with law enforcement and locally elected officials, and post-ordinance community education. Samples of social host ordinances and community awareness materials will be provided. |
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| C20 |
| New Translating science-based prevention strategies |
| Lance Segars, Kristen Donovan, Friedner Wittman, and Richard McGaffigan |
| With the increasing interest in science-based prevention, US government agencies including NIAAA, NIDA, and SAMHSA have are placing greater emphasis on developing and funding prevention efforts based on accepted models. Similarly state and local government’s requests proposals ask for science-based interventions. There are three models available that focus primarily on community-based prevention through policy change. These are the Community Trails Project, Communities Mobilizing for Change in Alcohol, and Community-Based Environmental Risk Reduction. This workshop will explore the difficulties in implementing these science-based community level prevention efforts in real world situations. Project-level problems inherent in these efforts include limited time and funding, expertise, vague models, accessible local data, and emerging issues for which evidence is lacking. State level challenges (California in this case) include displacement of policy planning responsibilities to vulnerable county officials, and deployment of state-sponsored training and TA without thorough review by the research community or by consumers.
Based on the experiences of three community prevention specialists, this workshop will focus on how local prevention projects deal with the problems of how to implement these interventions with limited resources. Suggestions for local efforts, for state-level policy-makers, and for those developing science-based interventions will be discussed. |
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| C21 |
| New Deregulation of alcohol |
| Mark Brown, Stephen Diamond, Alex Wagenaar, and Pam Erickson (moderator) |
| This presentation will begin with a brief summary of how the United Kingdom deregulated alcohol, how market forces facilitated increased alcohol consumption and how serious social problems reached the point of an epidemic. The primary purpose of the panel will be to assess whether the United States is vulnerable to a similar scenario and what can be done to prevent it. Panelists will describe the structure of the US regulatory structure for alcohol and its importance to public health by illustrating its importance to trade practices, enforcement, and compliance with state and local regulations. The session will address current threats to this system of regulation and what that means for local communities when addressing alcohol policy. There will also be a discussion of the alcohol policy science and literature which highlights and confirms the concerns of a deregulated alcohol market. |
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| C22 |
| Alcohol industry strategies to influence public health science and practice |
| David Jernigan, Thomas Babor, James Mosher, Michele Simon, and Nicholas Freudenberg |
| Like food, tobacco and pharmaceutical corporations, alcohol companies engage in a variety of activities to influence medicine and science. They fund research, mount extensive public relations campaigns invoking the language of public health, and carry out lobbying activities to block government regulation of their products and their trade. There is a substantial literature in the tobacco field analyzing the relationship between the tobacco industry and public health and medicine. This workshop will extend lessons from tobacco and other fields to analysis of alcohol industry strategies to influence public health policies and practice. Dr. Babor will present on the topic, “The Alcohol Industry and Public Interest Science: Partnership or Parting of the Ways?” Dr. Jernigan discusses “Confusion, Contention and Collaboration: Alcohol Producers and Global Public Health.” Mr. Mosher will present on “Joe Camel in a Bottle: Diageo, the Smirnoff brand, and the Transformation of the Youth Alcohol Market.” Ms. Simon’s paper is called, “Taking a Page from Big Food: How the Alcohol industry Spins its Products as Healthy and Nutritious.” Dr. Freudenberg will provide a summation of the lessons learned from this industry, placing them in the context of other industries whose routine practices have consequences for public health. |
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| C23 |
| Assessment of comprehensive alcohol systems at U.S. colleges |
| Traci Toomey, Darin Erickson, Kathleen Lenk, and Toben Nelson |
| To reduce alcohol use and related problems among young adults, we need systems that can facilitate high-quality implementation of a full continuum of approaches, including prevention policies, screening, intervention/treatment and enforcement efforts. Colleges and universities may be optimal settings for such systems, given the high rates of alcohol use and related problems among college students. We will present results from a three-year study that assessed alcohol systems at over 500 four-year colleges in the U.S. We conducted online surveys of three types of campus leaders: directors of campus health care services, administrators in charge of alcohol-related programs/policies, and directors of campus law enforcement or security (overall response rate = 61 percent). We collected measures across five components of campus alcohol systems: (1) screening services; (2) treatment services; (3) intervention programs, (4) prevention policies, and (5) enforcement practices. We will describe the degree of implementation of each system component across campuses, the distinct classes of colleges in regards to their alcohol systems (e.g., a class of campuses that implements all or most components, a class that implements only certain components, etc.), and college characteristics associated with each class. We will also discuss implications for college campuses and future research. |
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| C24 |
| Regulating the physical and economic availability of alcohol: Case studies from Canada, USA and the UK |
| Tim Stockwell, William Kerr, Petra Meier, Norman Giesbrecht, and Thomas Greenfield (moderator) |
| This panel session will focus on two key regulatory strategies for reducing the public health burden from alcohol: controls on minimum pricing and on outlet density. These strategies are currently being implemented in Canada, are being carefully considered in the UK and could be readily implemented in US control states. The session will start with a formal comparison of taxes and prices charged for a standard “dose” or drink of alcohol (equal to 14 g of ethanol) between control and non-control US jurisdictions – as well as comparison of revenues raised from liquor sales. The subject of minimum pricing of liquor in the UK has been the topic of intense political discussion and public debate for the past three years. Meier and her team at the University of Sheffield have contributed innovative modeling research into this debate to inform policy makers of public health consequences of such a policy. She will focus upon how this evidence has been discussed by different players in the debate. Giesbrecht and Stockwell will present evidence on the contribution of government monopolies towards controls on pricing and outlet density – and how gradual or full privatization of alcohol retailing threatens public health and safety. |
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Tuesday, December 7, 9:15 - 10:45a |
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| C25 |
| Statewide prevention coalitions roundtable |
| Melissa Boyd, Art Brown, Jaynie Brown, Angela Criswell, Judith Cushing (co-chair), Nicole Holt, Linda King, Robert Pezzolesi (co-chair), Diane Riibe, and Mike Tobias |
| Statewide coalitions bring together public health, safety, education, and civic perspectives to devise and pursue strategies for the avoidance of alcohol and other drug-related problems, often involving public policy measures. This roundtable explores efforts by such groups from across the US. |
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| C26 |
| Alcohol prevention: What’s our problem? |
| Bob Saltz, Brandon Busteed, Robert Nash Parker, Traci Toomey, and Thomas Workman |
| In any community of prevention specialists, there is a danger of insularity and creating something of an “echo chamber” in which we engage in “preaching to the choir.” This session was designed to provoke critical, but constructive commentary on the state of alcohol prevention practice and science. Panel members will present one or two issues that they believe are hindering our efforts toward building healthy and safe communities and nations. Then we will seek reactions or additional suggestions from those in attendance. The hope is that an honest discussion of current alcohol prevention will strengthen our impact. |
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| C27 |
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In order to effectively address the alcohol-related risks to health and safety it has become clear that a shift in thinking and public perceptions are necessary, while nevertheless acknowledging the health benefits for some adult drinkers who only drink small amounts. Demonstrating the second-hand effects of alcohol consumption, i.e. harm incurred by those other than the drinker, e.g. violence, injury, abuse, will bring a heightened concern to this important public health issue. Positioning public policies that take into account second-hand effects of drinking will bring greater support towards addressing alcohol as a public health and safety issue. Survey data from Nova Scotia (N=1,200) and Ontario (N=937) which examined adverse effects of drinking by others in the past year will be presented with comparable data from a Canadian national survey along with similar studies with representative samples from the U.S. and other jurisdictions. As with the positioning of second-hand smoke, the second-hand effects of drinking will shift the societal paradigm of changing an individual's drinking behaviour within society to also changing the society where the individual's drinking is occurring. This will achieve reduced harms from alcohol during a time when support for alcohol as a public health issue may lack momentum. |
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| C28 |
| New How California restaurants morph into bars and what the state ABC and cities are doing about it |
| Friedner Wittman, Michael Sparks, Richard McGaffigan, Steven Ernst, and Deborah Linden |
| For 50 years California’s Dept of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) and local jurisdictions have relied on regulatory distinctions between “bars” (no meals served) and “restaurants” (alcohol served incidental to meals) to parse state licensing and local permits. Restaurants have been subject to fewer restrictions and less oversight because (1) they are thought less likely to cause alcohol-related problems and (2) community agencies and groups believe restaurants generate substantial economic and social benefits while creating few health and safety problems. However, the restaurant trade over the last decade has increasingly emphasized alcohol sales and entertainment to the point that many “restaurants” now behave like bars late at night, and promote alcohol heavily with food sales at mealtimes. Ensuing police problems and community complaints have caught the California ABC and many cities by surprise, especially regarding problems with minors and young people. This workshop will present the California alcohol policy community’s multi-pronged approach to help the ABC and local jurisdictions respond: Document police events and ABC experiences with evidence to support greater oversight of restaurants; recommend changes to regulatory language at state and local levels, and mobilize the state’s alcohol policy advocacy community to press for these changes. |
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| C29 |
| New Who’s in control? The state of state alcohol monopolies |
| Steve Schmidt, William Kerr, and Michele Simon (moderator) |
| Eliminating state alcohol control has emerged as a short-sighted budget savior for several of the 18 states (and one county) currently with monopolies on alcohol sales. Gubernatorial candidates, big box retailers, and others in Washington, Virginia, and Pennsylvania have recently proposed plans to privatize alcohol sales in their respective states. Such proposals generally involve selling state stores to private alcohol companies for one-time revenue influx while eliminating a large, stable revenue stream to the state from alcohol sales. Moreover, the science is clear: control jurisdictions (in the US and internationally) experience lower rates of harm from alcohol consumption. The public health implications deserve much more attention than they are currently receiving in the media or in state legislatures. The current debate over state alcohol control requires responses to common questions about how public health advocates can generate support for state alcohol control in the midst of calls for privatization. This session will answer these questions and give policy advocates the opportunity to discuss responses based on evidence and recent research. |
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| C30 |
| New Campus and community coalitions: Maintaining momentum in changing times |
| Sally Linowski, Thomas O'Donnell, Jr., Christopher Pronovost, and Tony Maroulis |
| Campus and community coalitions are an essential component of comprehensive prevention programs to reduce alcohol and other drug abuse because of their focus one environmental change. In tough times, budget constraints, staff turnover, and shifting priorities at the campus, community, state and federal levels heighten the need to examine innovative and proven approaches and programs that create positive results for students on college campuses and the surrounding communities. How do coalitions survive through shifting coalition membership/leadership, institutional or municipal priorities, budget cuts, and other challenges? The Campus and Community Coalition (CCC) to Reduce High Risk Drinking is the catalyst for alcohol policy changes, town bylaw revisions, landlord partnerships, greater collaboration between courts and campus judicial office, and shared decision–making. At Umass Amherst, heavy frequent heavy episodic drinking dropped by 26 percent, and underage heavy episodic drinking by 14 percent in just five years. We will take participants behind the scenes to see how a successful coalition “builds the bridge as it walks on it” to bring about social and environmental change. |
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