1. Sales to Apparently Intoxicated Customers in Three States With Different Histories of Responsible Beverage Service Training.
- Author
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Buller DB, Woodall GW, Saltz R, Martinez L, Small A, Chirico N, and Cutter GR
- Subjects
- Humans, California epidemiology, Washington epidemiology, Alcohol Drinking epidemiology, Driving Under the Influence statistics & numerical data, Alcoholic Beverages economics, Commerce statistics & numerical data, Alcoholic Intoxication epidemiology
- Abstract
Objective: Most states prohibit sales of alcohol to customers who are apparently intoxicated, and many require training in responsible beverage service (RBS), with the aim of reducing driving while intoxicated (DWI) and other harms. Sales to apparently intoxicated patrons were assessed in onsite alcohol sales establishments and compared across three states., Method: A sample of 180 licensed onsite alcohol establishments was selected in California ( n = 60), New Mexico ( n = 60), and Washington State ( n = 60). States had different RBS training histories, content, and procedures. Research confederates, trained to feign cues of intoxication, visited each establishment twice. The pseudo-intoxicated patron (PP) ordered an alcoholic beverage while displaying intoxication cues. Sale of alcohol was the primary outcome., Results: At 179 establishments assessed, PPs were served alcohol during 56.5% of 356 visits (35.6% of establishments served and 22.6% did not serve at both visits). Alcohol sales were less frequent in New Mexico (47.9% of visits; odds ratio [OR] = 0.374, p = .008) and Washington State (49.6%; OR = 0.387, p = .012) than in California (72.0%). Servers less consistently refused service at both visits (6.8%) in California than New Mexico (33.9%) or Washington (27.1%), χ
2 (4, n = 177) = 16.72, p = .002. Alcohol sales were higher when intoxication cues were less obvious ( p < .001)., Conclusions: Overservice of alcohol to apparently intoxicated customers was frequent and likely elevated risk of DWI and other harms. The lower sales in New Mexico and Washington than California may show that a policy approach prohibiting sales to intoxicated customers combined with well-established RBS training can reduce overservice. Further efforts are needed to reduce overservice., Competing Interests: Dr. Buller, Dr. Woodall, Ms. Martinez, Ms. Small, and Mr. Chirico receive a salary from Klein Buendel, Inc. Dr. Buller's spouse is an owner of Klein Buendel Inc. Dr. Buller and Dr. Woodall are owners of Wedge Communications LLC, the distributor of the WayToServe online responsible beverage service training. An active management plan is in place at Klein Buendel to manage this conflict of interest. Dr. Cutter is employed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and reports personal fees from Pythagoras Board membership; advisory board fees from Alexion, Antisense Therapeutics, Avotres, Biogen, Clene Nanomedicine, Clinical Trial Solutions LLC, Entelexo Biotherapeutics, Inc., Genzyme, Genentech, GW Pharmaceuticals, Hoya Corporation, Immunic, Immunosis Pty Ltd, Klein-Buendel Incorporated, Linical, Merck/Serono, Novartis, Perception Neurosciences, Protalix Biotherapeutics, Regeneron, Roche, SAB Biotherapeutics; and data and safety monitoring board fees from Applied Therapeutics, AI therapeutics, AMO Pharma, Astra-Zeneca, Avexis Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Meyers Squibb/Celgene, CSL Behring, Horizon Pharmaceuticals, Immunic, Karuna Therapeutics, Kezar Life Sciences, Mapi Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Merck, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings, Opko Biologics, Prothena Biosciences, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi-Aventis, Reata Pharmaceuticals, Teva Pharmaceuticals, NHLBI (Protocol Review Committee), University of Texas Southwestern, University of Pennsylvania, Visioneering Technologies Inc. outside the submitted work. Dr. Saltz has no conflicts.- Published
- 2024
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