An Assessment of Alcohol Control Policies at Omaha Community Events

Each year in Nebraska, over 3,300 temporary liquor licenses known as Special Designated Licenses (SDLs) are issued to retail licensees and non-profit organizations to allow the sale of alcohol at community events. In this study, we obtained SDL applications weekly from the City of Omaha. We randomly selected 47 SDL events within city limits to identify characteristics of the events and to assess the prevalence of alcohol control policies. Information on planned policies was obtained by reviewing 47 of the SDL applications prior to attending each event. Thirteen met the criteria for observation. Eighty percent of the observed events had minors in attendance and allowed them into licensed areas where alcohol was being consumed. With regard to security, non-profit applicants were more likely than retail applicants to indicate on their application that security personnel would be present in distinctive clothing (33% versus 3% respectively; p = .013). There was also a significant difference in the proportion of non-profit and retail applicants indicating minors would be in attendance on their application (25% versus 0% respectively; p = .014). Statistically significant differences were found between policies noted on the liquor license application and the policies later observed with regard to the practice of not allowing alcohol to be consumed outside of the licensed premises (8% versus 85%; p = .006) and security personnel present and dressed in distinctive clothing (23% versus 85%; p=.008). As a result of our findings we recommend changes in alcohol control policies at community events.