Reducing intoxication among bar patrons: some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving

Intoxication in and around licensed premises continues to be common, despite widespread training in the responsible service of alcohol and laws prohibiting service to intoxicated individuals. However, research suggests that training and the existence of laws are unlikely to have an impact on intoxic...

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Main Authors: Graham, K., Miller, P., Chikritzhs, Tanya, Bellis, M., Clapp, J., Hughes, K., Toomey, T., Wells, S.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/43547
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author Graham, K.
Miller, P.
Chikritzhs, Tanya
Bellis, M.
Clapp, J.
Hughes, K.
Toomey, T.
Wells, S.
author_facet Graham, K.
Miller, P.
Chikritzhs, Tanya
Bellis, M.
Clapp, J.
Hughes, K.
Toomey, T.
Wells, S.
author_sort Graham, K.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Intoxication in and around licensed premises continues to be common, despite widespread training in the responsible service of alcohol and laws prohibiting service to intoxicated individuals. However, research suggests that training and the existence of laws are unlikely to have an impact on intoxication without enforcement, and evidence from a number of countries indicates that laws prohibiting service to intoxicated individuals are rarely enforced. Enforcement is currently hampered by the lack of a standardized validated measure for defining intoxication clearly, a systematic approach to enforcement and the political will to address intoxication. We argue that adoption of key principles from successful interventions to prevent driving while intoxicated could be used to develop a model of consistent and sustainable enforcement. These principles include: applying validated and widely accepted criteria for defining when a person is ‘intoxicated’; adopting a structure of enforceable consequences for violations; implementing procedures of unbiased enforcement; using publicity to ensure that there is a perceived high risk of being caught and punished; and developing the political will to support ongoing enforcement. Research can play a critical role in this process by: developing and validating criteria for defining intoxication based on observable behaviour; documenting the harms arising from intoxication, including risk curves associated with different levels of intoxication; estimating the policing, medical and social costs from intoxicated bar patrons; and conducting studies of the cost-effectiveness of different interventions to reduce intoxication.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-435472017-09-13T13:38:56Z Reducing intoxication among bar patrons: some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving Graham, K. Miller, P. Chikritzhs, Tanya Bellis, M. Clapp, J. Hughes, K. Toomey, T. Wells, S. Enforcement intoxication responsible alcohol service prevention licensed premises Intoxication in and around licensed premises continues to be common, despite widespread training in the responsible service of alcohol and laws prohibiting service to intoxicated individuals. However, research suggests that training and the existence of laws are unlikely to have an impact on intoxication without enforcement, and evidence from a number of countries indicates that laws prohibiting service to intoxicated individuals are rarely enforced. Enforcement is currently hampered by the lack of a standardized validated measure for defining intoxication clearly, a systematic approach to enforcement and the political will to address intoxication. We argue that adoption of key principles from successful interventions to prevent driving while intoxicated could be used to develop a model of consistent and sustainable enforcement. These principles include: applying validated and widely accepted criteria for defining when a person is ‘intoxicated’; adopting a structure of enforceable consequences for violations; implementing procedures of unbiased enforcement; using publicity to ensure that there is a perceived high risk of being caught and punished; and developing the political will to support ongoing enforcement. Research can play a critical role in this process by: developing and validating criteria for defining intoxication based on observable behaviour; documenting the harms arising from intoxication, including risk curves associated with different levels of intoxication; estimating the policing, medical and social costs from intoxicated bar patrons; and conducting studies of the cost-effectiveness of different interventions to reduce intoxication. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/43547 10.1111/add.12247 Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. restricted
spellingShingle Enforcement
intoxication
responsible alcohol service
prevention
licensed premises
Graham, K.
Miller, P.
Chikritzhs, Tanya
Bellis, M.
Clapp, J.
Hughes, K.
Toomey, T.
Wells, S.
Reducing intoxication among bar patrons: some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving
title Reducing intoxication among bar patrons: some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving
title_full Reducing intoxication among bar patrons: some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving
title_fullStr Reducing intoxication among bar patrons: some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving
title_full_unstemmed Reducing intoxication among bar patrons: some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving
title_short Reducing intoxication among bar patrons: some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving
title_sort reducing intoxication among bar patrons: some lessons from prevention of drinking and driving
topic Enforcement
intoxication
responsible alcohol service
prevention
licensed premises
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/43547