 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
|
| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Kathleen Lenk, MPH1, Debra H Bernat, MA1, Eileen M. Harwood, PhD2, and Alexander C. Wagenaar, PhD3. (1) Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, 1300 S. 2nd Street, Suite 300, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, 612-626-8874, LENK@EPI.UMN.EDU, (2) School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, 1300 South Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, (3) Alcohol Epidemiology Program, University of Minnesota, 1300 S. 2nd St, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015
Although Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth, it has a distinct culture in many respects, particularly pertaining to alcohol issues and policies. For example, the legal drinking age in Puerto Rico is 18, alcohol consumption is often permitted in public places such as streets and parks, and the rum industry has considerable political influence, as it is vital to the country's economy. Alcohol-related problems such as, underage drinking, and traffic crashes are public health concerns, with Puerto Rico having a higher rate of alcohol-related traffic fatalities than any state in the U.S. in 2001. Alcohol policies and laws are among the most promising interventions to reduce alcohol-related problems; however, little is known about public support for such policies in Puerto Rico. In this presentation, we will report findings from surveys conducted in Puerto Rico in 1997 and 2001 on public opinion on alcohol policies (island-wide representative samples, n= 543; 514). We will present trends in support for policies between 1997 and 2001, and also compare results with those from nearly identical surveys conducted in the contiguous United States (nationally representative samples, n = 7,021; 5,736). We found that both Puerto Rico and the U.S. showed high levels of support for many alcohol policies. Support was particularly high for restrictions on consumption of alcohol in public places, such as parks, beaches, and stadiums in Puerto Rico. We will present these and other findings, along with results of analyses on how demographic characteristics influence public opinion on policies in Puerto Rico.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Alcohol, Public Health Policy
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.