Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112505

Rebecca H. Reeve, PhD, CHES, Child and Family Health, Governor's Institute on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, 200 Park Office Drive, Suite 200, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, 919-990-9559, rhreeve@yahoo.com, Susan Auger, MA, Auger Communication and Aprendo Press, PO Box 51392, Durham, NC 27717, and Jacob Lohr, MD, Executive Director, Governor's Institute on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, 200 Park Office Dr, Research Triangle Park, NC 27704.

Often simple solutions make for bad public policy. This case study describes the efforts of unusual allies to promulgate evidenced based policy in an ethical process. When the Institute of Medicine released its report on underage drinking in September 2003, the North Carolina RASS (Responsible Alcohol Sales and Service) coalition had been in existence for five years. RASS, a proactive statewide partnership among public health, safety, and regulatory interests, was uniquely positioned to focus on the retail elements of the IOM recommendations. RASS had already adopted an evidence based strategy to implement high quality, outcomes-based, standardized seller/server training. In April 2004, North Carolina convened the Governor's Task Force on Driving While Impaired, slated to provide policy recommendations to strengthen the DWI system by the close of the year. Both efforts ran in parallel tracks with little crossover. By early September, RASS had reviewed nationwide training practices and adopted a Statement of Core Principles Regarding Seller/Server Training. Simultaneously, the DWI Task Force released draft recommendations highly critical of retailer's lack of responsible training. RASS responded with a press release. Ensuing events dramatically shifted DWI Task Force recommendations and created new ideas and alliances to assure elimination of sales to underage and intoxicated persons. This session will provide an interactive discussion of the twists, turns, ethical issues and actions that lead to that shift as well as an update on policy recommendation status at the close of the 2005 General Assembly.

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