260377 Do sales of alcohol, time of day, temperature, or other factors affect alcohol-related behavior on game day?: Examining the correlation between policy and environmental characteristics on crime and ejections within college football stadiums

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Brian Menaker, PhD , Department of Tourism, Recreation, and Sport Management, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Beth Chaney, PhD, MCHES , Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Background: Alcohol-related crime and misconduct is a growing problem at college sporting events. Prior research has focused on the impact of alcohol on spectator behavior at sporting events, but has not linked policy and environmental factors to behavior inside venues. Purpose: This study seeks to explore the connection between policy and environmental variables' impact and reported alcohol-related crime and ejection rates within college football stadiums. Methods: Canonical correlation analysis was conducted on independent variables of alcohol policy (sales allowed or prohibited), law enforcement ejection policy, temperature, time of game, home team ranked, visitor ranked, conference game, in-state rivalry, and attendance collected from policy and box score materials, and dependent variables of alcohol-related crime and ejection collected from law enforcement data at 126 games in seven stadiums over the course of three years. Results: Redundancy indices showed that 58.9% of the variance in the dependent variables was explained by independent variables. Ejections was most strongly influenced by reporting ejections (-.502), conference game (-.449), attendance (-.366), start time (-.338), and rivalry game (-.334); and crime influenced by attendance (-1.756), reporting ejections (1.332), alcohol policy (-.608), home team ranking (.498), and start time (-.460). Conclusions: Attendance, followed by alcohol sales policy and start time, had a direct relationship on and influenced an increase in crime. Law enforcement policy on reporting ejections, followed by temperature, attendance, conference games, and rivalry games impacted the frequency of alcohol-related ejection reports. Thus, policy variables were significant indicators on alcohol-related law enforcement activity at college football stadiums.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the factors that impact alcohol-related crime in college football stadiums.

Keywords: Alcohol, Crime

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I conducted all research involved this study, have experience conducting similar study in alcohol policy at sport venues, and have worked in alcohol policy development and implementation as a sport facility administrator.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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