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Abstract #158078

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Gunna Kilian¹, Traci L. Toomey, PhD², Darin J. Erickson, PhD¹, and Kathleen Lenk, MPH². (1) Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South 2nd St., Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, 612-626-8148, reyni001@umn.edu, (2) School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S. Second St. Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454

To prevent alcohol-related problems, states have made it illegal for alcohol license holders to sell alcohol to patrons who appear obviously intoxicated or not of legal age to purchase alcohol. Research has shown that despite these laws, alcohol establishments still sell alcohol to intoxicated and underage patrons; however, no research has been conducted regarding prevalence of illegal alcohol sales at professional sports stadiums. To assess the likelihood of illegal alcohol sales at sports stadiums, we conducted pseudo-underage (persons age 21 or over who have been judged to appear under 21) and pseudo-intoxicated (professional actors displaying signs of obvious intoxication) alcohol purchase attempts (n=159) at professional sporting events (football, baseball, basketball and hockey games) in seven metropolitan areas in the U.S. between September 2005 and November 2006. Following a strict protocol, the pseudo-intoxicated buyers were able to purchase alcohol 74% of the time, with sales to buyers more likely when the seller was male. Pseudo-underage buyers were able to purchase alcohol 18% of the time, with sales to buyers more likely when the attempt was conducted in the stands versus at concession booth. Results from numerous bivariate and multivariate analyses will be presented and implications of all results will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the need to reduce illegal alcohol sales at sports stadiums.
• Identify important components of conducting alcohol purchase attempts at stadiums.
• Describe how various factors such as gender of seller and location of the attempt (i.e., at concession booth vs. in stands) affect alcohol purchase attempt sales rates at sport stadiums.

Keywords: Alcohol Use, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Slides (pdf) or Handout