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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Briana M. Lawrence, MPH, Gail Janes, PhD, and Randy Elder, PhD. Guide to Community Preventive Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, M/S K-95, Atlanta, GA 30333, (770) 488-8178, dro6@cdc.gov

Background: Illegal alcohol consumption by underage youth is an important public health problem. Because efforts by youths to obtain alcohol from licensed retailers are frequently successful, there is a great need for interventions of proven effectiveness that address this problem. In its 2004 report, The Institute of Medicine asserted that limiting youth access to alcohol by improving retailer compliance with underage drinking laws, is an effective way to reduce both underage drinking and its consequences. This suggests that enhanced enforcement of existing laws, using sting operations, is a potentially effective way to limit underage consumption. Methods: A systematic literature review to examine the effectiveness of enhanced enforcement campaigns for reducing underage alcohol consumption was conducted using the methods of the Guide to Community Preventive Services. Following a comprehensive search of the literature, eight studies were identified for review, based on their focus, outcome, and the quality of their approach and execution. All studies meeting inclusion criteria evaluated changes in retailer behavior; of these, three also evaluated changes in underage drinking. Results: Enhanced enforcement campaigns were associated with a median 42% decrease in the proportion of retailers who sold alcohol to minors. Three studies included data on underage consumption. Two recorded a decrease in consumption, including binge drinking, although only one achieved statistical significance. Conclusion: These data provide strong evidence that enhanced enforcement campaigns are effective at reducing alcohol sales to minors. Further research is required to assess the degree to which these changes in retailer behavior affect underage drinking.

Learning Objectives: