The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70856

Thomas F. Babor, PhD, MPH, Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-6325, 860-679-5482, babor@nso.uchc.edu

Ideally, research evidence should be able to provide a scientific basis for public debate and policymaking. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the implications of recent advances in alcohol research for the development of alcohol policy on the local, national and international levels. This presentation summarizes qualitative expert ratings of 32 policy options provides qualitative ratings for each of the interventions reviewed in a new book: “Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity.” The ratings reflect the consensus views of the authors and are designed to serve as a guide to policy consumers who would like to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different policy options. The ratings are organized according to four major criteria: 1) evidence of effectiveness, 2) strength of research support, 3) extent of testing across diverse countries and cultures, and 4) relative cost efficiency of the intervention in terms of time, resources and money. Taking all of these criteria into account, the following 10 policy options stand out as “best practices”: minimum legal purchase age, government monopoly of retail sales, restrictions on hours or days of sale, outlet density restrictions, alcohol taxes, sobriety check points, lowered BAC limits for drinking-drivers, administrative license suspension, graduated licensing for novice drivers, and brief interventions for hazardous drinkers. Complementary strategies that seek to restructure the total drinking environment are more likely to be effective than single strategies, suggesting that full-spectrum interventions are needed to achieve the greatest population impact.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to: 1)describe the relative effectiveness of different alcohol policies; 2)assess the adequacy of research on different policy-relevant preventive interventions; and
• summarize the conclusions of the Alcohol and Public Policy Project

Keywords: Alcohol, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.