Thought this bib might be helpful to your work. I'll send anything else I find. How was Turkey Day? Take care, Tammy Tammy L. Anderson, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice University of Delaware Room 337 Smith Hall Newark, DE 19716 tammya@udel.edu www.udel.edu/soc/tammya (302) 831-2291- Office, (302) 831-2607- Fax, (302) 494-7073- Cell Serving Substance Abuse Professionals Since 1993 Last Update: 26.03.06 C O R K O N L I N E powerpoint presentations CORK database search resource materials bibliographies clinical tools user services newsletters about cork home CORK Bibliography: Bars and Alcohol Sale Outlets 96 citations. 2003 to present Prepared: March 2006 Akbar-Khanzadeh F. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in restaurants without separate ventilation systems for smoking and nonsmoking dining areas. Archives of Environmental Health 58(2): 97-103, 2003. (26 refs.) In this study, the author examined (a) levels of airborne pollutants from environmental tobacco smoke in 8 restaurants, and (b) changes in urinary cotinine and nicotine levels among 97 nonsmoking subjects (i.e., 40 restaurant employees, 37 patrons, and 20 referents). Airborne pollutant levels were significantly lower in the control environments than in the nonsmoking dining rooms in which smoking was not permitted, and the levels were significantly lower in the dining rooms in which smoking was not permitted than in the dining rooms in which smoking was permitted. Levels of urinary cotinine and nicotine increased among subjects in the dining rooms in which smoking was permitted, and the increase was significantly greater in employees than patrons. There was a significant positive correlation between levels of urinary nicotine increase and the levels of airborne nicotine and solanesol. The results of this study support the restriction of smoking to designated areas that have separate ventilation systems, or the prohibition of smoking in restaurants. Copyright 2003, Heldref Publications Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand. Host Responsibility Review. 2003. ALAC Discussion Paper. Wellington, New Zealand: Alcohol Advisory Council of Nw Zealand, 2003. (9 refs.) In 1989, changes in the Sale of Liquor Act brought about a significant increase in the number and range of place selling and supplying alcohol. Following this a vareity of campaigns were launced emphasizing the role of the establishment in reducing harm, individual hosts as well as public establishment. Changes in the law in 1999 incorporated into legislation some aspects of "Host Responsibility."This paper outlines a new focus for Host Responsibility that resulted from a strategic review conducted by the Alcohol Advisory council of New Zealand.Among the objectives are increasing efforts to reduce the cultural acceptance of intoxication, and reduce intoxication within licensed premises, and to expand training within the hospitality industry and statuatory agencies. It acknowledges that due to the far greater numbers, moderate drinkers who occasionally drink to intoxication generate considerable more problems that the much smaller percentage of people with alcohol intoxication.)The responsible host is defined as preventing intoxication, not serving minors, providing and actively promoting low and non-alcoholic alternatives, providing substantial food, serving responsibly or not at all, and arranging safe transportation options.Priority is given to reducing intoxication in licensed premises.Long term goals outlined include working to establish best practices to administering and monitoring sale of alcohol and work with the hospitality industry to ensure staff training. Copyright 2004, Project Cork Anglin L; Giesbrecht N; Ialomiteanu A; McAllister J; Ogborne A. Public perception of alcohol policy issues relating directly or indirectly to privatization: Results from a 1999 Ontario survey. Canadian Journal of Public Health 94(3): 201-206, 2003. (28 refs.) Objective: The purpose of this study is to measure public opinion on alcohol policy issues relating to youth, litigation, outlet density, and government action. The authors comment on the implications of public opinion with regard to proposals for privatization of alcohol retailing in Ontario. Method: Using data from a 1999 provincial survey (n = 1,288), the authors examine the opinions of Ontario adults (male and female over the age of 18) on seven alcohol policy-related items. in order to identify characteristics of persons tending to express certain opinions, the opinion items are cross-tabulated with sex, age, drinking pattern, marital status, and education. A scale is created to show the level and strength of aggregate support for alcohol controls. A logistic regression confirms associations between demographic characteristics and opinions. Results: The majority expresses opinions favouring alcohol controls and disagreeing with privatization (73% of total sample against). However, differences of opinion are observed within groups, between groups, and between items. In particular, higher-risk drinkers stand out for their dislike of most control measures. Discussion: Taken as a whole, the results suggest that privatization of alcohol retailing in Ontario would run contrary to the wishes of the majority. Disapproval would probably be even stronger if more people realized there is often a connection between privatization and increased outlet density, relaxation of other controls, and less consideration for public health. Copyright 2003, Canadian Public Health Association Babor T; Caetano P; Casswell S; Edwards G; Giesbrecht N; Graham K et al. Modifying the drinking environment. IN: Babor T; Caetano P; Casswell S; Edwards G; Giesbrecht N; Graham K et al. Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. pp. 141-156. (80 refs.) Given that alcohol use takes place within a cultural context it is possible to alter the context in such a way that drinking environment is changed which in turn alters the extent and magnitude of problems associated with use. The measured considered in this chapter target the drinking environment, particularly those where alcohol is sold or consumed and which are known as high risk environments. In western countries a significant proportion of drinking takes place in licensed premises. One of the efforts to reduce problems has involved responsible beverage service, and requisite training of employees and setting policy. Others include enforcement of serving practices, adoption of voluntary codes, and training bar/tavern staff in respect to the management of aggression and other problem behaviors. In some communities various community, grass roots efforts have been employed to address specific issues. Many of these may be viewed as societal harm reduction efforts. Copyright 2004, Project Cork Bellis MA; Hughes K; Bennett A; Thomson R. The role of an international nightlife resort in the proliferation of recreational drugs. Addiction 98(12): 1713-1722, 2003. (37 refs.) The study compares types, frequencies and quantities of substances used by young people while holidaying in the international dance resort of Ibiza (Spain) with their patterns of use in the United Kingdom. It measures changes in substance use at both locations between 1999 and 2002 and examines the role of dance resorts in recruiting individuals into using new substances. Data were collected from visitors to Ibiza in 1999 ( n = 846) and 2002 ( n = 868). Information on drug use was surveyed through a short anonymous questionnaire. Individuals were sampled at Ibiza airport just prior to returning to the UK. Most individuals visiting Ibiza used illicit drugs in the United Kingdom (57.4% in 2002), with nearly all users continuing to use in Ibiza. Use of most drugs in Ibiza was characterized by binge behaviour, with many individuals using drugs 5 or more nights per week. Proportions using cocaine, ecstasy and GHB have risen significantly (1999-2002) in both locations, as have numbers of ecstasy tablets taken on a usual night. Substance use was associated positively with number of previous visits to Ibiza and new users were recruited into use while abroad (17.4 and 33.1 per 1000 people were introduced to cocaine and ecstasy use, respectively, in Ibiza). The emergence of international nightlife resorts increasingly links drug use abroad with that in individuals' countries of origin. Our results indicate that resorts such as Ibiza offer tourists the opportunity to increase levels of drug consumption and try different substances in an atmosphere conducive to experimentation. Patterns of recreational drug use in leading international resorts may help predict developments in drug use elsewhere and as such be an important tool in planning appropriate interventions. Copyright 2003, Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs Biener L; Nyman AL; Kline RL; Albers AB. Adults only: The prevalence of tobacco promotions in bars and clubs in the Boston area. Tobacco Control 13(4): 403-408, 2004. (15 refs.) Objective: To document the nature and prevalence of tobacco promotions in bars and clubs in a major US city. Design: We conducted systematic observations in a representative sample of 38 establishments in the Boston area, half of which had been advertised in a tobacco company ad. We also observed seven events in six additional clubs hosting Camel Casbah promotions. Telephone interviews were later completed with club managers. Main outcome measure: Use of branded give-away items, distribution of free cigarette samples, managers' reports of costs and benefits of hosting promotions. Results: The majority of the 38 clubs were observed to use bar paraphernalia including matchbooks with tobacco brand logos, regardless of their history of appearing in tobacco sponsored ads. Free cigarette samples were not observed at any of the sampled clubs, but were a feature of every Casbah event. Managers of clubs in the advertised group were somewhat more likely to report having hosted promotions, but 44% of managers of non-advertised clubs indicated that tobacco promotions had occurred in their establishments in the past. Approximately one third of club managers viewed public links with a tobacco company as a negative feature of hosting promotions. Conclusions: Based on managers' reports, tobacco promotions occurred in more than 50% of the Boston area entertainment venues frequented by young adults. Cigarette companies should be required to inform the attorney general of plans to conduct promotions in adult-only venues to facilitate monitoring of compliance with the Master Settlement Agreement. The negative health and business consequences of hosting promotions should be communicated to bar owners. Copyright 2004, British Medical Journal Publishing Group Bradshaw P. Underage Drinking and the Illegal Purchase of Alcohol. Edinburgh Scotland: Scottish Executive Social Research, 2003. (chapter refs.) As part of a larger longitudinal study of youth, this study examined underage drinking behavior in Scotland, and the extent of illegal alcohol purchases occurring in pubs, liquor stores, and other sites among a cohort (n = 4,300) of students. Annual questionnaire data were obtained on a wide range of topics. Analysis of the data on consumption and purchase of alcohol indicates that 51% had consumed alcoholic beverages by age 13, and 84% by age 15. About one-fourth reported drinking on a weekly basis and almost half at least monthly. Illegal alcohol purchases in the previous year were reported by 49%, with 35% having purchased alcohol from more than one source. The most common point of purchase (33%) was small licensed grocers or corner shops. Those who purchased alcohol illegally were more likely to be more frequent drinkers and more likely to be involved in delinquent behavior. Between 46% and 49% had experienced adverse effects from drinking, including intoxication and memory deficits. The illegal purchase of alcohol has been shown to be a stronger predictor of involvement in delinquent behavior than drinking alcohol. The implications of these findings for prevention are discussed. Public Domain Briscoe S; Donnelly N. Problematic licensed premises for assault in inner Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology 36(1): 18-33, 2003. (36 refs.) Evidence suggests that licensed premises are often associated with alcohol-related harm, particularly violent crime. However, not all licensed premises appear to be equal contributors to alcohol-related problems in the community. This paper examines the distribution of harmful outcomes across licensed premises in three inner-urban areas of NSW Police-recorded assault incidents on licensed premises in inner Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong over a 2-year period were analysed. In inner Sydney 12% of hotels and nightclubs accounted for almost 60% of all assaults at hotels and nightclubs, in inner Newcastle 8% of licensed premises accounted for nearly 80% of all assaults on licensed premises and in inner Wollongong 6% of licensed premises accounted for 67% of all on-premises assaults. The analysis also found that assault incidents on licensed premises were concentrated late at night or early in the morning and on weekends. Licence types identified as being the most problematic for violence on licensed premises were hotels and nightclubs. in particular, hotels with extended or 24-hour trading recorded a greater number of assaults compared with those trading standard hours. The implications of these findings for crime prevention and law enforcement strategies are discussed. Copyright 2003, The Australian & New Zealand Society of Criminology Britt HR; Carlin BP; Toomey TL; Wagenaar AC. Neighborhood level spatial analysis of the relationship between alcohol outlet density and criminal violence. Environmental and Ecological Statistics 12(4): 411-426, 2005. (30 refs.) Misuse of alcohol is a significant public health problem, potentially resulting in unintentional injuries, motor vehicle crashes, drownings, and, perhaps of greatest concern, serious acts of violence, including assaults, rapes, suicides, and homicides. Although previous research establishes a link between alcohol consumption increased levels of violence, studies relating the density of alcohol outlets (e.g., restaurants, bars, liquor stores) and the likelihood of violent crime have been less common. In this paper we test for such a relationship at the small area level, using data from 79 neighborhoods in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota. We adopt a fully Bayesian point of view using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) computational methods as available in the popular and freely available WinBUGS language. Our models control for important covariates (e.g., neighborhood racial heterogeneity, age heterogeneity) and also account for spatial association in unexplained variability using conditionally auto-regressive (CAR) random effects. Our results indicate a significant positive relationship between alcohol outlet density and violent crime, while also permitting easy mapping of neighborhood-level predicted and residual values, the former useful for intervention in the most at-risk neighborhoods and the latter potentially useful in identifying covariates still missing from the fixed effects portion of the model. Copyright 2005, Springer Buddie AM; Parks KA. The role of the bar context and social behaviors on women's risk for aggression. Journal of Interpersonal Violence 18(2): 1378-1393, 2003. (39 refs.) The present study is an initial examination of the extent to which the environmental characteristics of bars and social behaviors that women engage in when drinking in this setting are associated with bar-related aggression. As expected, several environmental characteristics (e.g., young patrons, pool playing) and social behaviors (e.g., alcohol consumption, leaving the bar with strangers) were associated with more severe bar-related aggression experienced by women during the past year. These results shed light on the significant problem of bar-related aggression against women and can potentially be used to develop prevention and educational programs. Copyright 2003, Sage Publications, Inc. Burns ED; Nusbaumer MR; Reiling DM. Think they're drunk? Alcohol servers and the identification of intoxication. Journal of Drug Education 33(2): 177-186, 2003. (19 refs.) Despite alcohol server training programs and legal liability aimed at controlling intoxication, server intervention appears to be rare. Given the difficulty in assessing intoxication, it can be assumed that improvement in assessment skills would increase the likelihood of intervention. Unfortunately, little is known regarding practices servers use to identify intoxication. In order to build a more informed base for policy formation and server training, the focus of this inquiry was to examine practices used by servers to assess intoxication. The analysis was based upon questionnaires mailed to a random probability sample of licensed servers from one state (N= 822). Indicators found to be most important were examined in relation to a variety of occupational characteristics. Implications for training curricula, policy formation, and future research are discussed. Copyright 2003, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc Butler S. Paying the price for extended opening hours: a comment from Ireland. (editorial). Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 10(4): 297-301, 2003. (10 refs.) Cameron M; Wakefield M; Trotter L; Inglis G. Exposure to secondhand smoke at work: A survey of members of the Australian Liquor, Hospitalitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 27(5): 496-501, 2003. (25 refs.) Objective: To measure workers' attitudes towards and experiences of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in the workplace. Method: A stratified random sample of members from the Victorian Branch of the Australian Liquor, Hospitalitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union (LHMU) was interviewed by telephone in September 2001. Of the 1,078 respondents surveyed (77% response rate), hospitality workers comprised 49% of the sample, while the remainder comprised community services, property services and manufacturing workers. Results: Overall, 54% of union members were employed in workplaces that did not completely ban smoking and 34% reported being exposed to SHS during their typical working day. Workplaces with total smoking bans had a high level of compliance with these restrictions, with no workers in these settings indicating exposure to SHS at work. Compared with other workers, hospitality workers reported working in environments that had more permissive smoking policies. Consistent with this, 56% of hospitality workers said they were exposed to SHS during a typical day at work compared with 11% of other workers. Overall, 79% of workers expressed concern about exposure to SHS, including 66% of smokers. Compared with other workers, hospitality workers reported a higher level of concern about exposure to SHS at work. Conclusion: These findings provide evidence that many workers, and especially those employed in the hospitality sector, are exposed to SHS during their working day and are concerned about the effects of such exposure on their health. Implications: These findings indicate that workplace smoke-free policies are effective in reducing worker exposure to SHS and demonstrate support for the extension of smoke-free policies to hospitality workplaces. Copyright 2003, Public Health Association of Australia Inc. C'de Baca, J.; Lapham, SC. Perceptions of policy change: Hispanics speak out on the 1998 New Mexico drive-up liquor window closure. Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 12(3): 197-211, 2005 Public health policies are intended to influence behaviors, and should be in accordance with differing cultures and social, legal and economic environments (WHO, 2000). However, studies of whether policy changes differentially affect minority populations are rare. Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in the USA, and are over-represented among those arrested for driving while impaired (DWI). The relationship between the availability of alcohol and alcohol-related problem behaviors has been established. Drive-up liquor window sales may facilitate drinking and driving, and may be disproportionately found in minority neighborhoods. In 1998 New Mexico (NM) became the twenty-seventh state to close drive-up liquor windows. This study examines how the closure was perceived by Hispanics versus people of other ethnicities. We conducted a telephone survey followed by a mailed questionnaire. The telephone survey was completed by 108 residents from four NM communities, and the mailed survey was responded to by 133 residents living within two blocks of a closed liquor window. Many Hispanic telephone-survey respondents felt the closures only effect on the community was reducing DWI crashes (44%). Respondents of other ethnicities were more likely to be unsure of its effects. Mailed-survey results of Hispanics indicate similar views, with 48% reporting that the closure reduced DWI crashes. Respondents of other ethnicities more often felt the closure had little effect on the neighborhood. The qualitative analysis revealed three themes: 'zero tolerance;' 'ineffective;' and 'right track.' Hispanics generally thought the closure was an ineffective means of addressing the DWI problem, while respondents of other ethnicities felt the closure was a step in the right direction. Respondents living closest to the former drive-up windows strongly felt the closure resulted in safer streets, less noise, fewer accidents, and less 'wild driving.' Copyright 2005, Taylor and Francis Degenhardt L; Dillon P; Duff C; Ross J. Driving and Clubbing in Victoria: A study of drug use and risk among nightclub attendees. NDARC Technical Report No. 209. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, 2004. (23 refs.) Executive summary. 'Ecstasy' was originally synthesised in 1914, but has recently gained popularity as a drug often associated with the nightclub and dance party scene. The prevalence of ecstasy use has been increasing, from 1.7% in 2001, to 5.0% of 14-19 year-olds in 2001 who had used ecstasy recently. Research has shown that ecstasy is mostly taken in the dance/nightclub environment. As some of the effects of last for a considerable amount of time it can be assumed that patrons may still be under the influence of drugs at closing time. There is little literature on the effect of ERDs on driving. However, given the known side effects of these drugs, particularly their perception and cognition altering effects (often regarded as positive by users), it is likely that they constitute a danger where driving. Both impaired driving and being a passenger of an impaired driver appear to be common occurrences among dance party attendants. A recent Australian study of 216 ecstasy users found about half of the sample (49%) had driven a motor vehicle shortly after ecstasy use, and half of this subgroup (49%) believed that the drug had a detrimental influence on driving ability. In December 2003, the Victorian Government passed legislation that allows the conduct of random roadside testing via a saliva test, for two illicit drugs: THC and methylamphetamine. The test is designed to detect the presence of drugs recently consumed (rather than, for example, metabolites of the drugs that might remain in the body after the user's driving performance may no longer be affected). Although the legislation allows for random testing, in fact Victorian Police operational guidelines will target drug screening at locations where high-risk drivers are likely to be present, and at times that will minimise impact on the average driver. This study was conducted in April-July 2004 to examine the prevalence of illicit drug use among nightclub attendees in Melbourne, Victoria; their transport methods; and their histories of drug use and driving, in part to establish a ÒbaselineÓ against which future studies might be able to compare drug use and driving behaviour after the introduction of testing. In total, 273 persons were interviewed for the study. Two thirds of the sample was male (63%) and they were, on average, 22 years old (Table 1). Most were single (84%), with 15% reporting that they were currently married or in a live-in relationship. Eight in ten of the sample (81%) reported that they had completed high school. One in five reported that they had or intended to use cannabis (22%) and ecstasy (18%) on the night of interview. One in eight (13%) reported speed use, and 6% reported either having used or intending to use crystal/base methamphetamine. Almost two thirds reported they had or intended to consume alcohol (61%). Participants reported a variety of means of transportation. Overall, around one in ten participants reported that they would knowingly either drive or be driven by someone under the influence of alcohol (10%), cannabis (11%) and/or methamphetamine (8%). Seven in ten (70%) participants reported that they had heard of roadside drug testing. Many participants correctly thought that the test would detect methamphetamine (48%) and cannabis (59%). (Around one in three erroneously thought that the test could also detect heroin and cocaine. The majority said they supported the concept of roadside drug testing. Four in ten reported that that testing would change their behaviour through not using drugs, or waiting longer to drive, or finding alternative transportation. The Victorian Government supports a 'harm minimisation' approach to drug use. This legislation is designed to focus on road safety and prevention, rather than drug detection, aiming to deter Victorian drivers who have recently used cannabis and methamphetamine from driving a vehicle, based on the possibility of getting caught. Research has shown that a successful campaign relies heavily on its ability to be highly visible and threatening to the general community. It must be unpredictable, difficult to evade, rigorously enforced, have consequences, and be coordinated with supporting mass media campaigns. [Roadside saliva screening is more labour intensive and costly than alcohol testing, as a result it is highly doubtful that the campaign will have the reach of drinking-driving initiatives.] There are 8 tables and figures. An appendice includes the survey questionnaire. Copyright 2004, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (Australia) Donnar R; Jakee K. Australian beer wars and pub demand: how vertical restraints improved the drinking experience. Applied Economics 36(14): 1613-1622, 2004. (31 refs.) Recently, Australia's two largest brewers, Carlton and United Breweries and Lion Nathan, have been aggressively competing for market share in the state of Victoria. Among other strategies, the two breweries have implemented vertical restraints in the form of 'extensive' agreements with retailers and the outright purchase of pubs. A key outcome of these purchases and agreements is the renovation of many pubs as brewers attempt to attract increasingly sophisticated drinkers. This paper attempts to quantify the value of these renovations and measure their associated impact on consumers, relying on insights from the hedonic literature. A simple, but novel approach, is used to estimate the implicit price of the pub environment and the effects of renovations on that price. Copyright 2004, Routledge Donnelly N; Briscoe S. Signs of intoxication and server intervention among 18-39-year-olds drinking at licensed premises in New South Wales, Australia. Addiction 98(9): 1287-1296, 2003. (30 refs.) Aims: To estimate the extent of responsible service of alcohol (RSA) practice to young adults showing signs of alcohol intoxication on licensed premises in New South Wales. Design: Telephone-based cross-sectional survey. Setting: New South Wales, Australia. Participants A total of 1090 people aged 18-39 years old. Findings: Seventy-five per cent of males and 64% of females reported that they had consumed at levels for acute alcohol-related harm during the previous 12 months, with 34% of males and 24% of females reporting doing so weekly; 54% (95% CI: 51-58%) of both males and females who had consumed at acute-risk levels, reported that this last drinking occasion occurred at a licensed premises. Of these, 56% (95% CI: 51-61%) reported that they had exhibited at least one sign of overt alcohol intoxication, while 19% (95% CI: 15-23%) reported showing three or more signs of intoxication. Among those reporting at least one sign of intoxication, only 10% (95% CI: 7-15%) reported that the licensed premises staff had provided at least one of seven different responsible service initiatives, while 55% (95% CI: 48-61%) reported that they were continued to be served alcohol. While these results suggest that intoxicated patrons are not being refused service as often as they should, there was evidence for some degree of responsible service provision with around half of the 'non-intoxicated' patrons reporting that they had seen licensed premises staff intervene in some way with other 'intoxicated' patrons. Conclusions: While the majority of 18-39-year-olds report showing signs of intoxication while drinking at licensed premises in NSW, only a small minority report experiencing RSA initiatives from bar staff in response to these signs. Copyright 2003, Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs Ellmers M. Commentary. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 10(4): 297-301, 2003. (0 refs.) Fendrich M; Wislar JS; Johnson TP; Hubbell A. A contextual profile of club drug use among adults in Chicago. Addiction 98(12): 1693-1704, 2003. (36 refs.) To better understand the prevalence, correlates, risk factors and context of club drug use among US adults in the City of Chicago. An Audio Computer-Assisted Self Interview was administered to a household probability sample of adults, aged 18-40 years, from June 2001 to January 2002. Subjects were drawn from randomly selected households using a multi-stage area probability design. The data represent 627 randomly selected adult participants. Weighted prevalence estimates with design-effect adjusted confidence intervals of life-time, past 12 month and past 30 day use of any club drug and of specific club drugs; prevalence of rave attendance, other drug use, motivation for use among club drug users; tests of significance, logistic regression and adjusted odds ratios. Overall club drug prevalence rates were nearly twice those obtained for MDMA alone. Club drug users were more likely to use multiple illicit substances and to report having been in treatment for substance use. A majority of life-time club drug users never attended a rave although rave attendees were more likely to report frequent use of MDMA. Use was associated with gender, race and sexual orientation. Prevention research should be informed by further population-based research on club drug use. Research should not focus exclusively on rave attendees, as they are only a subset of club drug users. Research is needed on neurological and behavioral sequelae across different types of club drugs, gender differences in the impact of sexual orientation on club drug risk and on the effects of personality characteristics such as sensation seeking on club drug use behavior. Copyright 2003, Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs Foster JH. Extended alcohol licensing hours in England and Wales: there will be a large price to pay. (editorial). Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 10(4): 285-297, 2003. (11 refs.) Freisthler B. A spatial analysis of social disorganization, alcohol access, and rates of child maltreatment in neighborhoods. Children and Youth Services Review 26(9): 803-819, 2004. (49 refs.) Parental substance abuse is a major contributing factor to increasing child welfare caseloads. Previous research on the role of substance abuse in child maltreatment has focused almost exclusively on the efficacy of substance abuse treatment programs for parents in reducing the reoccurrence of child abuse. Little attention has been given to the role of neighborhood characteristics or alcohol access on rates of child maltreatment. This study examines the relationship between alcohol access and neighborhood rates of child maltreatment. Using substantiated reports of child maltreatment for 940 census tracts in three counties in California, this study examines the role of neighborhood social disorganization and alcohol access on child abuse and neglect. Spatial regression models show that neighborhoods with higher percentages of poverty, female-headed households, Hispanic residents, population loss, and greater densities of bars have higher rates of child maltreatment. Neighborhoods provide an ideal mechanism for developing preventive interventions of child abuse and neglect because individual families or parents are not targeted for services. Instead, neighborhood characteristics that contribute to potentially harmful living situations for children can be identified and altered. These results suggest that efforts to prevent child maltreatment should focus on neighborhood disadvantage and alcohol outlet densities. Copyright 2004, Elsevier Science Freisthler B; Gruenewald PJ; Treno AJ; Lee J. Evaluating alcohol access and the alcohol environment in neighborhood areas. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 27(3): 477-484, 2003. (35 refs.) Background: This paper examines neighborhood, outlet, and server characteristics related to successful purchases of alcohol by intoxicated patrons and underage drinkers at alcohol establishments. It is hypothesized that outlets in commercial areas near to other premises, with poor exterior maintenance, much advertising, and inexperienced youthful servers will be more likely to sell alcohol to intoxicated and underage patrons. Methods: Data were collected using pseudo-intoxicated patron and apparent minor surveys of randomly selected alcohol establishments in a metropolitan area of northern California. Data collection operations included independent surveillance of these drinking places to establish neighborhood And premise characteristics and pseudo-intoxicated patron and apparent minor stings to assess rates of these forms of illegal alcohol sales. Male actors feigning intoxication and female of-age youth identified as appearing to be 20 years or younger attempted to purchase alcohol at on- and off-premise establishments, respectively. Rates of sales (off-premise) and service (on-premise) were the primary outcomes. Results: Apparent minors purchased alcohol in 39% of attempts (95% CI, 34-45%) while pseudo-intoxicated patrons were served alcohol in 58% of attempts (95% CI, 50-67%). Sales to apparent minors were significantly related to percentage of Hispanic residents and areas with greater population density. Sales to pseudo-intoxicated patrons were more frequent when the server was male and appeared to be under the age of 30. These sales were also more frequent in Hispanic neighborhoods with high population density and high numbers of on-premise outlets but were less frequent in African American neighborhoods. Conclusion: The findings suggest that underage and intoxicated patron sales differ by areas. Both forms of illegal sales of alcohol are more likely in highly populated areas of communities. The findings also suggest that server characteristics are strongly related to sales to intoxicated patrons, suggesting some leverage for responsible beverage service programs in these environments. Copyright 2003, Research Society on Alcoholism. Used with permission Freisthler B; Midanik LT; Gruenewald PJ. Alcohol outlets and child physical abuse and neglect: Applying routine activites theory to the study of child maltreatment. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 65(5): 586-592, 2004. (40 refs.) Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine whether or not alcohol access in neighborhood areas is differentially related to substantiated reports of child physical abuse and neglect. Method: This cross-sectional ecological study uses spatial regression procedures to examine the relationship between the number of bars, restaurants and off-premise outlets per population and rates of child physical abuse and neglect in 940 census tracts in California, while controlling for levels of social disorganization, population density and county of residence. Results: The number of off-premise outlets per population was positively associated with rates of child physical abuse (b = 3.34, SE= 1.14), and the number of bars per population was positively related to rates of child neglect (b = 1.89, SE = 0.59). Conclusions: These results suggest that alcohol access is differentially related to type of child maltreatment, with higher densities of bars being related to higher rates of child neglect, and higher rates of off-premise outlets related to higher rates of child physical abuse. The findings suggest there is a spatial dynamic of neighborhoods that can result in child maltreatment and underscore the importance of examining the alcohol environment when developing programs to prevent child maltreatment. Copyright 2004, Alcohol Research Documentation Inc. Gee IL; Watson AFR; Carrington J. The contribution of environmental tobacco smoke to indoor pollution in pubs and bars. Indoor and Built Environment 14(3-4): 301-306, 2005. (14 refs.) Smoking is currently allowed in most UK pubs and bars and smoking policies are self regulated by the hospitality industry through the Public Places Charter, which encourages the provision of non-smoking areas and improved ventilation. In this study monitoring of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has been conducted in 60 pubs and bars in the Greater Manchester area to determine the effectiveness of different smoking policies. The ETS markers RSP (as PM2.5), UVPM, FPM, SoIPM and nicotine were sampled at several locations in each establishment, using portable monitoring cases and analysed using established methods. ETS concentrations were significantly lower in non-smoking areas in comparison to smoking areas, with reductions of between 27-69%. Bar areas had similar levels to smoking areas. The proportion of particles (RSP) that could be attributed to ETS was considerable even in non-smoking areas (43-55%) indicating that smoking was the major source of particles in these environments. The use of mechanical and/or air cleaning systems resulted in lower average concentrations of ETS markers in comparison to use of extractor fans or natural ventilation, but these differences were not statistically significant. Copyright 2005, Sage Publications, Ltd. Giancola PR; White HR; Berman ME; McCloskey MS; Greer TF; Widom CS et al. Diverse research on alcohol and aggression in humans: In memory of John A. Carpenter. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 27(2): 198-208, 2003. (37 refs.) This article summarizes the proceedings of a symposium, chaired and co-organized by Helene Raskin White and co-organized by Peter R. Giancola, that was presented at the 2002 RSA Meeting in San Francisco. The goal of this symposium was to integrate findings from methodologically divergent studies on the topic of alcohol-related aggression in humans. The investigators focused on isolating mediators and moderators of the alcohol- aggression relationship. Peter R. Giancola presented laboratory data demonstrating how alcohol's acute effects on aggression are moderated by individual difference and contextual factors. Mitchell E. Berman presented laboratory data on alcohol's acute effects on self-induced aggression. Helene Raskin White reviewed prospective data on how alcohol affects the intergenerational transmission of family violence. Stephen Chermack reviewed data on the impact of a family history of alcoholism and a family history of violence on the development of childhood behavioral problems and adult problems with drugs, alcohol, and violence. Finally, Kenneth E. Leonard presented data on personal and contextual factors influencing alcohol- related barroom violence. Copyright 2003, Research Society on Alcoholism. Used with permission. Gilley BJ; Co-Cke JH. Cultural investment: Providing opportunities to reduce risky behavior among gay American Indian males. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 37(3): 293-298, 2005. (18 refs.) Many gay American Indian (GAI) men feel alienated from their tribal, ceremonial and social communities because of homophobia and heterosexism. As a result, they often turn to their local gay community for social participation and sex opportunities. It is no secret that a significant aspect of some gay communities is socializing in local bars and clubs. The gay bar scene makes healthy living difficult for Native American gay men. This is especially the case for those who are in alcohol or drug recovery. In response, gay Native men's support groups are attempting to make available a cultural alternative to the double bind of alienation from one's Native community and exposure to substance abuse by providing alcohol and substance free opportunities for ceremonial and social involvement. The hope is that the men will go to bars less frequently and instead turn to Native cultural activities in men's groups for social, spiritual and emotional support. The logic of this approach assumes that individuals who are culturally invested in a community will gain a level of self and social acceptance, making them less likely to abuse substances and put themselves at risk for HIV infection. The information presented in this article comes from over six years of ethnographic research among GAI men concerning self and social acceptance, HIV/AIDS and American Indian GLBT identity. Copyright 2005, Haight-Ashbury Publishing Gilpin EA; White VM; Pierce JP. How effective are tobacco industry bar and club marketing efforts in reaching young adults? Tobacco Control 14(3): 186-192, 2005. (47 refs.) Objective: Recently, the tobacco industry has focused marketing efforts on young adults through bar and club promotions, such as advertising and distribution of free cigarettes in these settings. This study estimates the fraction of the California young adult population that might be exposed and potentially influenced by these efforts. Design and participants: Data were from 9364 young adult (18-29 years) respondents to the cross sectional population based 2002 California Tobacco Survey. As background, we analysed social smoking (only smoke with other smokers), and enjoyment of smoking while drinking. Our main focus was on bar and club attendance, what was observed in bars and clubs, and how this might differ according to respondents' risk for future smoking. Results: Social smokers comprised 30.0 (2.2)% of all current smokers, including experimenters. Nearly three quarters (74.5 (2.3)%) of current smokers/experimenters said they enjoyed smoking while drinking. About one third (33.8 (1.2)%) of all young adults said they attended bars and clubs at least sometimes; attendance was significantly higher among smokers and those at risk for future smoking. Close to 60% (57.9 (2.2)%) of bar and club attenders reported seeing cigarette advertising and promotions in these settings. Again, smokers and those at risk were more likely to report seeing such advertising and promotions in these settings. Conclusions: About 20% of all young adults and about 30% of those at risk for future smoking (including current smokers) were exposed to tobacco advertising and promotions in bars and clubs. These California results may be conservative, but nonetheless indicate that the group potentially influenced is sizable. Copyright 2005, BMJ Publishing Group Gorman D; Zhu L; Horel S. Drug hot-spots', alcohol availability and violence. Drug and Alcohol Review 24(6): 507-513, 2005. (33 refs.) Ecological studies have shown a relationship between alcohol outlet densities and violence and between the location of crimes related to illicit drug use (so- called 'hot spots') and violence. To date, no study has compared the effects of alcohol outlets and drug hot spots on rates of violence. The present study examined this relationship in the City of Houston, Texas. An ecological study design was employed, using a sample of 439 census tracts from Houston, Texas. Neighborhood socio-structural, alcohol outlet density, drug crime density and violent crime density data were collected from archival sources and analyzed using multivariate and spatial statistics. Using ordinary least- squares analysis, the neighborhood socio-structural covariates explained about 40% of the variability in violent crime. Adding alcohol outlet density in the target census tracts explained an additional 6%, while the addition of drug crime density explained an additional 32%. In the final model, that controlled for the effects of autocorrelated error, both drug crime density in the target and adjacent census tracts remained significant predictors of violent crime, while only off-sale density in the target census tract remained significant in the model. The findings indicate that drug crime density explained a greater amount of variance in violent crime rates than the alcohol outlet density. The methodological and policy implications of these findings are discussed, along with the shortcomings of the analysis presented. Copyright 2005, Taylor & Francis Graham K; Osgood W; Zibrowski E; Purcell J; Gliksman L; Leonard K et al. The effect of the Safer Bars programme on physical aggression in bars: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Drug and Alcohol Review 23(1): 31-41, 2004. (48 refs.) The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Safer Bars, an intervention to reduce aggression in bars. A total of 734 pre - post-intervention observations were conducted by trained observers on Friday and Saturday nights between midnight and 2 a.m. in 18 large capacity ( > 300) Toronto bars and clubs assigned randomly to receive the intervention (69% participation rate of the 26 assigned) and 12 control bars. As part of the intervention, owners/managers completed the risk assessment workbook to identify ways of reducing environmental risks, and 373 staff and owners/managers (84% participation rate) attended a 3-hour training session focused on preventing escalation of aggression, working as a team and resolving problem situations safely. The main outcome measures were rates of severe aggression (e.g. punching, kicking) and moderate physical aggression (e.g. shoving, grappling). Hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) comparing pre - post aggression for intervention versus control bars indicated a significant effect of the intervention in reducing severe and moderate aggression. This effect was moderated by turnover of managers and door/security staff with higher post-intervention aggression associated with higher turnover in the intervention bars. The findings indicate the potential for a stand-alone relatively brief intervention to reduce severe and moderate physical aggression in bars. Copyright 2004, Taylor & Francis Health Sciences Graham K; Wells S. 'Somebody's gonna get their head kicked in tonight!' - Aggression among young males in bars - A question of values? British Journal of Criminology 43(3): 546-566, 2003. (61 refs.) Qualitative methods were used to examine aggression among young males in bars in terms the role of alcohol, social context, cultural values, rewards and punishment, and motivations for aggression. Twenty-one incidents of barroom aggression described by men aged 20-24 in semi-structured interviews were reviewed for thematic content. According to participants, alcohol played a role by making participants less aware of risks, more willing to take risks, more stimulated, more emotional and more aggressive. However, male honour, face saving, group loyalty and fighting for fun were the main motivations for barroom aggression. The most notable explanatory factor for barroom aggression among young males in the study was an overriding general acceptance and even positive endorsement of aggression in bars, suggesting that greater attention needs to be paid to the cultural values that shape the attitudes and behaviour of some young men. Copyright 2003, Institute for the Study and Treatment of Delinquency Graham, K.; Jelley, J.; Purcell, J. Training bar staff in preventing and managing aggression in licensed premises. Journal of Substance Use 10(1): 48-61, 2005. (41 refs.) Objectives: (1) to evaluate changes in knowledge and attitudes of participants in the "Safer Bars" training programme to reduce aggression in bars; (2) to assess the relationship of scores on knowledge/attitudes questionnaires with participant's role in bar, gender and years of experience, and geographic location of the bar; and (3) to assess consumer satisfaction and elicit subjective feedback regarding the programme. Methods: Five hundred and twenty-two bar staff and managers from 23 bars completed knowledge/attitude tests before and after the 3-h training and provided consumer satisfaction ratings. Results: Participants rated the training very highly and showed significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes related to preventing aggression and managing problem behaviour. In multivariate analyses, being male, having more years of experience, being a manager or bartender and being employed at a city-centre bar were all independent predictors of higher pre-test training scores; however, only being a manager and being employed at a city-centre bar significantly predicted higher scores on post-test knowledge and attitudes. Conclusions: The positive response to the "Safer Bars" training and the significant improvement in knowledge and attitudes indicate that programmes of this type have the potential to be an effective public health strategy for reducing bar-related violence and injury. Copyright 2005, Francis and Taylor Health Sciences Haines B; Graham K. Violence prevention in licensed premises. IN: Stockwell T; Gruenewald PJ; Toumbourou JW; Loxley W, eds. Preventing Harmful Substance Use: The Evidence Base for Policy and Practice. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2005. pp. 163-176. (77 refs.) Licensed premises are associated with a significantly increased risk of aggression and violence. Risk factors for violence in licensed premises include high levels of intoxication, environmental sources of frustration or irritation, socially permissive environments, aggressive patrons, and inexperienced or violent staff. Interventions to reduce alcohol-related violence in licensed premises have included broad-based community interventions, Responsible Beverage Service programmes, local accords or agreements on appropriate industry practices, programs to train staff in techniques for better managing aggression and other problem behaviour, interventions to reduce environmental risks, changes to industry regulations, and targeted policing approaches. Many of these interventions, especially broad-based community interventions, have shown significant reductions in violence. However, rigorous evaluations have been rare, and a wide range of strategies showing promising results are worthy of further study. These include targeted policing strategies, training programs for staff, especially security staff, and multicomponent strategies targeting a range of known risk factors for violence. Bars, nightclubs and pubs fill a special role in modern western society. They provide gathering places for people, especially young adults, to socialize and meet potential romantic partners. However, these are also places that carry a certain amount of risk for violence due to: the increase in aggression associated with alcohol intoxication; social interactions among persons who are all feeling the effects of alcohol; the nature of some bar-room activities, e.g., slam or mosh dancing, expectations among some cultures and subcultures that violence is more acceptable in the bar context or while intoxicated (Graham and Homel, 1997), competitive games such as pool, and the fact that the locations are frequented by young males who are generally higher risk than other segments of the adult population for aggression, especially young males drinking in groups. As noted by Indermaur (1999), the sheer predictability of violence in bars argues for violence prevention interventions targeted at licensed premises. However, the literature on effective interventions to reduce violence in licensed premises is sparse. In this chapter, we first describe the link between alcohol and aggression generally, and the literature on the environmental determinants of alcohol-related aggression in the bar context. We then describe existing interventions to reduce bar violence and review the evidence of their effectiveness. Copyright 2005, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Hammersley R; Ditton J. Binge or bout? Quantity and rate of drinking by young people in the evening in licensed premises. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 12(6): 493-500, 2005. (16 refs.) A sample of 291 people aged 16-25 responded to an interviewer-completed questionnaire seeking information on their quantity and rate of alcohol consumption. The survey was conducted in licensed premises in the centre of a large English city. Analysis revealed that men drank more than women, but adjusting for body size and recommended alcohol intake removed this difference. Most respondents planned to drink far more than recommended upper limits. However, they did so at a moderate rate of intake over many hours and only a minority planned to drink so fast that they would become extremely drunk. "Binge'' drinking was typically defined by this sample to be fast and excessive drinking. There was no evidence of a distinct minority of bingers, for intake was a skewed unimodal distribution. Binge drinking is a politically highly charged concept, but is rarely defined with any precision. It is confused with drinking to excess and with drunkenness. This study suggests that drinking rate must be a key part of any competent definition. Study participants were on a drinking "bout'' that involved drinking too much for health over 5 or 6 hours, but were not planning to get very drunk. Young people need to be encouraged to drink less even when they are not getting drunk, and warnings about binges and their dire consequences may distract from this message. Copyright 2005, Taylor and Francis Ltd. Harwood EM; Erickson DJ; Fabian LEA; Jones-Webb R; Slater S; Chaloupka FJ. Effects of communities, neighborhoods and stores on retail pricing and promotion of beer. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 64(5): 720-726, 2003. (25 refs.) Objective: This study examines how communities, neighborhoods and stores influence retail pricing and promotion of beer. Method: In the year 2000, trained field staff conducted observations in 2,024 retail alcohol stores in 160 communities throughout the contiguous United States. Based on a nationally representative sample of schools, we selected communities defined by the school's catchment area, or the vicinity from which the majority of students are drawn. We randomly selected off-sale alcohol retail establishments from a complete list of stores likely to sell tobacco or alcohol in the selected communities. Beer price and promotions are based on observations of Miller and Budweiser beer brands in the stores. Neighborhoods are defined by the store's census block. We used cross-sectional, hierarchical regression models and mixed methods procedures to analyze data. Results: Community, neighborhood and store characteristics were related to beer price; however, only community and store characteristics were predictive of beer promotions. Conclusions: Overall, the pricing and promotion of beer vary systematically by some characteristics of communities, neighborhoods and stores, but not significantly by the number of young people populating a neighborhood. In addition, pricing and promotion of Budweiser and Miller beers, in particular, do not appear to target racial minority populations. Because of the significant effect of store characteristics, public health agencies and advocates might focus prevention efforts on collaborations with liquor control agencies to reduce variations in pricing and promotion of beer, which ultimately encourage risky drinking behaviors. Further studies are needed to examine the effects of pricing and promotion on alcohol-related social problems. Copyright 2003, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc. Used with permission Homel R; Carvolth R; Hauritz M; McIlwain G; Teague R. Making licensed venues safer for patrons: What environmental factors should be the focus of interventions? Drug and Alcohol Review 23(1): 19-29, 2004. (15 refs.) The Queensland Safety Action Projects operationalized a problem-focused responsive regulatory model in order to make nightclubs and other venues safer. A problem-focused approach requires a careful analysis of the total environment of licensed venues, including drinking and its controls but also the social and physical environments, patron mix and management practices. We present new analyses of observational data collected in 1994 and 1996 in the north Queensland cities of Cairns, Townsville and Mackay. Major reductions in aggression and violence were observed, as well as improvements in many aspects of the venue environment and management practices. We do not argue in this paper that the interventions caused the environmental and management changes, although we believe this to be true. Rather, our assumption is that whatever caused them, some of the environmental and management changes were critical to the reductions in aggression. Regression techniques were used to identify those factors that best explained the declines in aggression. For reduced physical violence four key predictors were identified: improved comfort, availability of public transport, less overt sexual activity and fewer highly drunk men. For reduced non-physical aggression, four key predictors were: fewer Pacific Islander patrons, less male swearing, fewer intoxicated patrons requiring that management be called and more chairs with armrests. The analyses are consistent with the argument that the control of drinking is necessary but not sufficient to reduce aggression and violence. Copyright 2004, Taylor & Francis Health Sciences Hopfer C; Mendelson B; Van Leeuwen JM; Kelly S; Hooks S. Club drug use among youths in treatment for substance abuse. American Journal on Addictions 15(1): 94-99, 2006. (16 refs.) We describe lifetime rates of club drug use among 782 youths in treatment for substance abuse. Rates (%) for youths under eighteen (N=486) were methylenedioxymethamphetamine ( MDMA), 32.3; gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), 7.0; lysergic acid diethylamide ( LSD), 48.6; ketamine, 18.3; and methamphetamine, 30.2. For youths 18-32 (N=289) rates (%) were MDMA, 37.0; GHB, 13.1; LSD, 42.9; ketamine, 17.0; and methamphetamine, 31.5. Older youths reported significantly more use of GHB than younger youths (p <.01). Youths reported using club drugs frequently outside of rave settings. Club drug use is common among youths in treatment for substance abuse and has spread beyond the rave culture. Copyright 2006, American Academy of Psychiatrists in Alcoholism and Addictions Johnsson KO; Berglund M. Education of key personnel in student pubs leads to a decrease in alcohol consumption among the patrons: A randomized controlled trial. Addiction 98(5): 627-633, 2003. (24 refs.) Aims: To decrease alcohol consumption among patrons in student pubs by server-training programmes. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: University campus. Participants: A total of 1322 students visiting local student pubs during ordinary pub evenings. Intervention: Educational programmes were given to bartenders (n = 40) in a randomized design in six of 12 pubs on a university campus. Bartenders in control pubs were not given the programme. Measurements: Breath alcohol concentration (BAC), expressed in percentage, among the patrons and the reported social atmosphere in the pub ('high', 'cosy' and 'rowdy') measured on a visual analogue scale in the pub before and after the intervention programme was given. Findings: BACs of patrons in the intervention pubs were reduced by more than those of the patrons in the control pubs at a 1-month follow-up. The mean difference in BAC between intervention and control groups was -0.011% (95% confidence interval, 0.022-0.000). The intervention group also decreased more in reported level of 'rowdy' social atmosphere than did the control group. The mean difference was -6 points (95% confidence interval -11 to -1). No differences were found in reported 'cosy' and 'high' atmosphere. Conclusion: Alcohol levels among the patrons were decreased and the 'rowdy' social atmosphere reduced in the intervention group. Server-training programmes for personnel in student pubs could be a component in the prevention of alcohol problems in university student populations. Copyright 2003, Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs Johnsson T; Tuomi T; Hyvarinen M; Svinhufvud J; Rothberg M; Reijula K. Occupational exposure of non-smoking restaurant personnel to environmental tobacco smoke in Finland. American Journal of Industrial Medicine 43(5): 523-531, 2003. (55 refs.) Background Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure levels in different restaurant types in Finland were assessed before the National Tobacco Act restricting smoking in restaurants was activated. Methods Exposure to ETS was determined by measuring nicotine in the breathing zone of non-smoking restaurant workers and by quantification of the nicotine metabolites cotinine and 3-hydroxycotinine in the urine of these workers during one whole work week. Altogether 23 workers from 15 restaurants were included in the study. Results The geometric mean (GM) breathing-zone nicotine level was 3.9 mug/m(3) (3.7 mug/m(3) in pubs, 1.4 mug/m(3) in dining restaurants, and 10.2 mug/m(3) in nightclubs). The GM cotinine and trans-3'-hydroxycotinine level in urine were 3.3 ng/mg(creatinine) and 15.3 ng/mg((creatinine)), respectively. The exposure to ETS of restaurant workers in dining restaurants was clearly lower than that of workers in pubs and nightclubs as indicated by all ETS-markers used in the present study. During the work week, the cotinine and 3'-hydroxycotinine levels in urine of the study subjects increased. The correlation between breathing zone nicotine and urine cotinine and hydroxycotinine was 0.66 for both compounds. Post-shift cotinine and hydroxycotinine levels were not significantly higher than the pre-shift levels. Conclusions If 9 ng cotinine/mg((creatinine)) is considered as the level above which heavy exposure has occurred, then this level was exceeded by 14 (similar to60%) subjects at least once during the work week. Nicotine metabolite concentrations in the urine increased during the work week in 80% of the subjects, and the increase was especially noticeable for subjects working in both pubs and nightclubs. The study indicates that measures to restrict ETS exposure in restaurants are needed. Copyright 2003, Wiley-Liss, Inc. Kara D; Hutton L. Omnibus survey: Testing public opinion on licensing law and alcohol consumption. Edinburgh Scotland: Scottish Executive Social Research, 2003 This study compiled survey data on public opinion about attitudes toward alcohol and control of alcohol sales in Scotland. Telephone interviews were conducted in 2002 with 1,003 people, a representative sample of the population age 16 and over. Both closed and open questions covered the themes of licensing hours, social and criminal problems associated with alcohol consumption, drink promotions or "happy hours" on licensed premises, and underage drinking. About 56% to 63% approved of the current number of licensed sales establishments and licensing hours for alcohol sales, as well as other sales outlets such as shops and supermarkets. Across all age levels, 64% believed that public disorder, disturbances, and crimes were associated with alcohol consumption. A majority (58%) believed that levels of drunkenness and disorderly behavior had increased in the past 5 years. A major concern expressed by respondents in open-ended questions was underage drinking. Almost all (94%) believed that there was a problem with underage drinking, including all the 16-17 year olds. A high proportion of teenagers approved of "happy hours," and this declined directly with age for an overall approval rate of 14%. Discrepancies were found between the beliefs of 16-17 year olds and older respondents as to where they believed most underage drinkers obtained their alcohol. Findings indicate generational differences in perceptions on some issues, but definite underlying concerns about underage drinking. Tabular data are appended.. Public Domain Kardan S. The government's new War on Drugs: Threatening the right to dance! New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement 29(Winter): 99+, 2003. (221 refs.) The U.S. has taken a new approach to its war on drugs. It has declared a war on "raves," all-night electronic music dance parties, where "club drugs" are accused of being "essential" n1 and "deeply embedded" in the culture. Targeting the managers and promoters of raves specifically, the government claims that sales of items such as "pacifiers, chemical light sticks, and flashing light rings" at these establishments prove that club promoters and managers conspire to knowingly and intentionally make their events available for the use of unlawful controlled substances. The government reasons that since these items are "commonly used to enhance and support the physiological 'high' caused by the ingestion of 'club drugs,'" making them available for sale at raves is sufficient to show that club organizers are knowingly and intentionally using electronic music dance parties to promote the use of illegal drugs. Applying it for the first time in the context of dance parties, the federal authorities are using U.S.C. 856(a)(2), also known as the "Federal Crack House Statute," to arrest and criminally prosecute rave promoters and managers. n6 The statute, which was originally established in 1986, primarily to shut down crack houses, makes it unlawful to manage or control any building, room, or enclosure, either as an owner, lessee, agent, employee, or mortgagee, and knowingly and intentionally rent, lease, or make available for use, with or without compensation, the building, room, or enclosure for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing, storing, distributing, or using a controlled substance. By using the statute to criminally prosecute rave club organizers, the federal government is accusing party organizers of running twenty-first century crack houses. Lacking evidence to prosecute them for the sale, distribution, or ingestion of controlled substances, n10 the government is holding rave promoters and managers criminally liable for simply hosting dance party events under the Federal Crack House Statute. By doing so, the government is using the statute too broadly and going against legislative intent. As a result, the new application of the Federal Crack House Statute threatens the constitutional rights of innocent owners, managers, and patrons of all electronic music events. This article examines the unconstitutionality of these actions and evaluates the adverse effects they will have on the electronic music dance culture. Part II looks at the historical development of "raves," focusing specifically on what they are and what they consist of. Part III examines what falls under the category of "club drugs" and why they are associated with the rave scene. Part IV looks at the government's attempts to shut-down raves through various anti-rave initiatives, and how these attempts have led to the criminal prosecution of rave organizers through the use of the Federal Crack House Statute. Part V argues that the government's new interpretation of 21 U.S.C 856 is unconstitutionally broad and vague and as a result, infringes on constitutional rights. Part VI examines the newly proposed RAVE Act of 2002, and the potential problems it will face if adopted. Copyright 2003, New England Journal on Criminal and Civil Confinement, Inc. Kunzli N; Mazzoletti P; Adam M; Gotschi T; Mathys P; Monn C; Brandli O. Smoke-free cafe in an unregulated European city: Highly welcomed and economically successful. Tobacco Control 12(3): 282-288, 2003. (24 refs.) Objective: In a unique setting with two identical cafes, which only differed in their smoking ordinances, this study assessed the influence of smoking policies on the choice of the cafe, investigated regulatory preferences among customers, and evaluated the claim that smoking cafes have better sales performance in a city without smoking bans. Methods: In a parallel assessment, customers of both cafes answered a questionnaire. Sales were compared and air pollutants were measured to confirm air quality differences. Results: The two customer groups (n=177) differed only with regard to smoking status (p<0.01). The smoking regulation was the most often cited selection criterion (83%). In the non-smoking cafe, 89% indicated that they were usually annoyed by smoke in coffee houses, and 62% would avoid or leave cafes for this reason. Two thirds stated that all cafe/restaurants should offer the opportunity of a smoke-free environment. However, almost half stated that mandatory regulations are not needed and that customers should make individual arrangements based on tolerance and courtesy. Those who were informed about the health effects of secondhand smoke were more likely to call for clear policies. Whereas sales showed no differences, tips were 22% (p<0.001) higher in the non-smoking cafe. Conclusion: In a generation raised in smoking friendly environments, customers paradoxically ask for a landmark shift towards smoke-free opportunities, while substantially adhering to the tobacco industry paradigm of promoting "tolerance" rather than smoke-free policies. Given the clear preference of a large number of customers, hospitality businesses could, however, greatly profit from offering smoke-free environments even in the absence of regulatory policies. Copyright 2003, BMJ Publishing Group Kypri K; Dean J; Kirby S; Harris J; Kake T. 'Think before you buy under-18s drink': Evaluation of a community alcohol intervention. Drug and Alcohol Review 24(1): 13-20, 2005. (18 refs.) Hazardous consumption of alcohol by teenagers is a significant public health problem in New Zealand. Concern about supply of alcohol to minors motivated 'Think before you buy under-18s drink', a campaign to reduce alcohol-related harm by discouraging inappropriate supply of alcohol by adults. Two intervention districts and a comparison district, in the South Island of New Zealand, were selected for the purpose of evaluating the campaign. Primary outcome measures were changes in the prevalence of parent supply to their teenager (13-17 years) for unsupervised drinking (SUD), and changes in the prevalence of binge drinking among teenagers. At baseline, 49% of teenagers reported a recent episode of binge drinking. SUD in the past month was reported by 36% of teenagers. Recent purchases of alcohol by under-18s were common (bottle shops: 16%; pubs/bars: 11%). In contrast to teenagers, only 2% of parents reported SUD in the past month. Levels of binge drinking decreased in all three districts. Analysis of data from 474 teenagers who completed questionnaires, at baseline and follow-up, showed decreased SUD in Ashburton and Waitaki relative to Clutha, although this was not significant (OR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.43, 1.25). Discrepancies between teenager and parent reports of SUD may be due to the latter providing a socially desirable survey response and to differences in the interpretation of what constitutes adult supervision. The lack of a significant association between changes in SUD and binge drinking may be a consequence of teenagers obtaining relatively small amounts of alcohol from their parents and larger quantities from other sources, e. g. peers (some of whom may be able to purchase alcohol legally) and from licensed premises. Copyright 2005, Australian Medical and Professional Society on Alcohol and Other Drugs Lee JP; Moore RS; Martin SE. Unobtrusive observations of smoking in urban California bars. Journal of Drug Issues 33(4): 983-999, 2003. (36 refs.) This paper describes initial findings from a project utilizing unobtrusive participant observation to investigate noncompliance with workplace tobacco control regulations within stand-alone bars in one California city. Early findings indicate that half of the bars in the sample fully complied with the law, while other bars could be described as in transition from smoking to nonsmoking, and a minority of bars remained consistently noncompliant. No smoking at all was observed in 50.4% of bars. Of the 49.6% of bars in which smoking was observed at least once, 14.9% were characterized by endemic smoking. Nine percent of smoking bars may have converted from smoking to nonsmoking over the course of the study, and the remaining bars were characterized by incidental smoking (including doorway smoking, lone smokers, and closing time smoking). Implications for enhancing compliance with tobacco control policies are discussed. Copyright 2003, Journal of Drug Issues, Inc. Lee SJ; Galanter M; Dermatis H; McDowell D. Circuit parties and patterns of drug use in a subset of gay men. Journal of Addictive Diseases 22(4): 47-60, 2003. (67 refs.) This study examined the characteristics of gay men attending circuit parties and their drug use. In particular, the role of methylenediomethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") was considered in relation to other drug use and sexual behavior. A one-page survey was distributed to 173 men attending a circuit party. Respondents were generally gay men, Caucasian, employed, and well-educated. Twenty-five percent self-identified as HIV-positive. Eighty-six percent reported using at least one substance on the day of the party; polydrug use was frequent. The most common substances were MDMA, ketamine, and methamphetamine. MDMA use was highly associated with ketamine, methamphetamine, and cocaine use. MDMA use was also associated with significantly more receptive anal intercourse. Circuit parties are settings of increased drug use and associated high-risk sexual behavior. A better understanding of these issues is needed to develop interventions aimed at reducing drug use and sexual risk taking among gay men who attend circuit parties. Copyright 2003, Haworth Press, Inc. Leonard KE; Collins RL; Quigley BM. Alcohol consumption and the occurrence and severity of aggression: An event-based analysis of male to male barroom violence. Aggressive Behavior 29(4): 346-365, 2003. (43 refs.) Although a considerable body of experimental research supports the contention that alcohol facilitates aggression, some investigators have argued that these findings cannot be generalized to actual occurrences of aggression. Moreover, controversy continues concerning whether expectancies supporting alcohol's influence on aggression moderate the relationship. The present study is an event-based examination of the relationship between alcohol consumption, personality characteristics, contextual variables, and the occurrence and severity of male-to-male bar aggression. Men (n = 190) who experienced either a physically aggressive episode or an incident of threat in a bar were assessed with respect to stable individual difference factors, such as personality factors, trait anger, and alcohol-aggression expectancies. The participants were also interviewed about the circumstances surrounding the most severe episode of bar aggression or threat that occurred in the past year. Logisitic regression analyses indicated that while alcohol consumption did not predict the occurrence of aggression, heavy alcohol consumption by the participant and the opponent was associated with aggression severity and physical harm, and that this relationship was present after controlling for personality and situational factors. The belief that alcohol was a cause of aggression was associated with the occurrence of aggression, but it was not related to severity or harm, and did not appear to moderate the alcohol-aggression relationship. These results suggest that alcohol expectancies may facilitate the occurrence of aggression. However, the results also support the contention that alcohol use may contribute to the severity of aggression occurring in bar contexts. Copyright 2003, Alan R. Liss, Inc. Leonard KE; Quigley BM; Collins RL. Drinking, personality, and bar environmental characteristics as predictors of involvement in barroom aggression. Addictive Behaviors 28(9): 1681-1700, 2003. (52 refs.) Theoretical approaches to alcohol and violence have emphasized three interrelated domains of influence: the situational context, aggression-facilitating characteristics of individuals, and the impact of alcohol consumption. We examined these three domains as predictors of experiencing violence in the barroom setting. Participants were recruited through one of two phone surveys or through newspaper advertisements and classified into one of three groups: Experienced Bar Violence (EBV), Observed Bar Violence (OBV), and No Bar Violence (NBV). They completed questionnaires assessing individual difference and alcohol use variables, and an interview that assessed characteristics of their usual bar. The results suggested that individual difference and alcohol variables distinguished men in the EBV group from men in the OBV and NBV groups. However, women in the EBV group were distinguished from women in the NBV group by the characteristics of their usual bar and by the alcohol variables, but were distinguished from the OBV group only in terms of individual difference variables. The implications of these findings with respect to the influence of alcohol on barroom violence are discussed. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science Liang L; Sloan FA; Stout EA. Precaution, compensation, and threats of sanction: The case of alcohol servers. International Review of Law and Economics 24(1): 49-70, 2004. (31 refs.) This study used data from a national sample of bar owners or managers and employees at these establishments to look at the following issues. To what extent does the imposition of liability affect employees' incentive to take care? Do various liability rules affect employees' serving practices? And does how the employees were paid make a difference? Employees received higher pay when they engaged in serving practices that may lead to driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), but pay did not increase when they engaged in behavior that may decrease DUI. Employees were less likely to engage in irresponsible behaviors when the perceived threat of a lawsuit by the owner/manager was relatively high. However, tort liability only affected some forms of precautionary behaviors. Based on our analysis, administrative and criminal law overall appears to be ineffective deterrents. The deterrent effects of lawsuits may also diminish when alcohol servers are mostly paid through tips. Copyright 2004, Elsevier Science Inc. Lua AC; Lin HR; Tseng YT; Hu AR; Yeh PC. Profiles of urine samples from participants at rave party in Taiwan: Prevalence of ketamine and MDMA abuse. Forensic Science International 136(1/3): 47-51, 2003. (22 refs.) Drug abuse patterns are different due to cultural, social and geographical differences. Methamphetamine (MA) is the most important drug of abuse in Taiwan followed by opiates. Recently, there has been an increase of ketamine and MDMA abuse in disco dancing clubs. Here, we report the patterns of drug abuse by the participants in a metropolitan city disco-dancing club and the general public in Taiwan. The positive rates of common drugs of abuse detected in samples collected from participants in a dancing club were as follows: MDMA, 75.7%; ketamine, 47.0%; MA, 41.6%; opiates, 0%. Marijuana and cocaine were detected at much lower rates (3.4 and 4.7%, respectively). Ketamine and one of the amphetamines were detected together in 42.9% of the samples. The positive rates in samples collected from police detainees suspected of drug abuse in the general public were as follows: MA, 76.0%; OPA, 37.0%; MDMA, 6.0%; ketamine, 2.0%. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science Ltd Maye D; Ilbery B; Kneafsey M. Changing places: investigating the cultural terrain of village pubs in south Northamptonshire. Social & Cultural Geography 6(6): 831-847, 2005. (37 refs.) The village pub has traditionally held an important 'place' in British economy and society and as such is an interesting site for social and cultural analysis. At one level, it is a site with pronounced mythic qualities. Yet on another level, the place of the village pub is highly unstable and contested, with many reportedly facing closure. Adopting an avowedly 'production-centred' approach, this paper presents exploratory survey findings from two case study villages in south Northamptonshire. This includes an examination of each pub's input supply network, including links with brewers and other suppliers. The paper attempts to move beyond viewing the village pub simply as a declining rural service and focuses in particular on the ways in which pubs commodify 'local culture' as an economic resource. It concludes by introducing the concept of 'cultural terrain' and its application to the study of village pubs and rural services more generally. Copyright 2005, Taylor & Francis Ltd McCarthy P. Alcohol-related crashes and alcohol availability in grass-roots communities. Applied Economics 35(11): 1331-1338, 2003. (13 refs.) This paper employs a unique panel data from 111 small non-metropolitan incorporated cities in California during a 108 month period from January 1981 to December 1989 in order to analyse the effect of alcohol availability on highway safety. Negative binomial regression models are estimated which include alcohol licences per square mile as a measure of alcohol availability. Theoretically, the sign of the alcohol licence density is indeterminate as it reflects a trade-off of its effect on traffic exposure and on the time price alcohol. Among the findings, increases in the density of general alcohol licences for off-site (on-site) alcohol consumption are beneficial (detrimental) to highway safety whereas increasing the density of beer/wine licences have non-uniform effects. Additional findings important to municipal policymakers are that DUI arrests and increasing the price of alcohol reduce alcohol-related crashes. Copyright 2003, Routledge McKinney A; Coyle K. Patterns of alcohol consumption in a Northern Irish sample. Substance Use & Misuse 40(4): 573-579, 2005. (11 refs.) This paper examines the drinking habits of a Northern Irish sample during a six-month period in 1998. In addition the study examines the influence of contextual variables on the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption. Questionnaires were administered to 600 participants; the response rate was 39.8% (239). An unexpected low abstinence rate was observed that, however, may be due to response bias. The results revealed high frequency (29.7% drink on four or more days a week) and high quantity of alcohol consumption (mean units per week 43.21, SD 40.33). Beer drinkers consumed the largest quantity of alcohol and also had the highest frequency of alcohol consumption. It was observed that 45.8% of all drinking events took place in a public bar and the popularity of the public bar for alcohol consumption was not influenced by age or gender. The present investigation revealed that almost half (45%) of individuals consume more than one type of beverage at one sitting, and there is a trend of consuming alcohol in more than one place during a single drinking session. These results indicate a distinctive drinking pattern within Northern Ireland and have implications for studies investigating the effects of alcohol on the social drinker. Copyright 2005, Marcel Dekker, Inc Measham F. Play space: Historical and socio-cultural reflections on drugs, licensed leisure locations, commercialisation and control. International Journal of Drug Policy 15(5/6): 337-345, 2004. (37 refs.) This paper will consider legal and illicit drug use in relation to changing leisure spaces, reflecting on different types of leisure space from the formal, controlled and purpose built licensed leisure locations of the modern urban landscape to the illicit, unregulated and wild zones beyond. Drawing on a range of literature, as well as empirical studies by the author, the historical and socio-cultural development of leisure space in relation to dance clubs, public houses and cafe bars in the UK will be considered. The relationship between spatiality, consumption, commercialisation and control is analysed through a consideration of changes in licensed leisure spaces; changes in the use of legal and illicit drugs within them; and state and commercial responses to these changes at local and national level. After pub and club space, the third and final consideration is the notion of head space, utilised and commodified in the pursuit of pleasure in late modern consumer society. Copyright 2004, Elsevier Science Meliker JM; Maio RF; Zimmerman MA; Kim HM; Smith SC; Wilson ML. Spatial analysis of alcohol-related motor vehicle crash injuries in southeastern Michigan. Accident Analysis and Prevention 36(6): 1129-1135, 2004. (32 refs.) Temporal, behavioral and social risk factors that affect injuries resulting from alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes have been characterized in previous research. Much less is known about spatial patterns and environmental associations of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. The aim of this study was to evaluate geographic patterns of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and to determine if locations of alcohol outlets are associated with those crashes. In addition, we sought to demonstrate the value of integrating spatial and traditional statistical techniques in the analysis of this preventable public health risk. The study design was a cross-sectional analysis of individual-level blood alcohol content, traffic report information, census block group data, and alcohol distribution outlets. Besag and Newell's spatial analysis and traditional logistic regression both indicated that areas of low population density had more alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes than expected (P < 0.05). There was no significant association between alcohol outlets and alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes using distance analyses, logistic regression, and Chi-square. Differences in environmental or behavioral factors characteristic of areas of low population density may be responsible for the higher proportion of alcohol-related crashes occurring in these areas. Copyright 2004, Elsevier Science Mulcahy M; Evans DS; Hammond SK; Repace JL; Byrne M. Secondhand smoke exposure and risk following the Irish smoking ban: An assessment of salivary cotinine concentrations in hotel workers and air nicotine levels in bars. Tobacco Control 14(6): 384-388, 2005. (31 refs.) Objective: To investigate whether the Irish smoking ban has had an impact on secondhand smoke (SHS) exposures for hospitality workers. Design, setting, and participants: Before and after the smoking ban a cohort of workers (n = 35) from a sample of city hotels (n = 15) were tested for saliva cotinine concentrations and completed questionnaires. Additionally, a random sample (n = 20) of city centre bars stratified by size ( range 400-5000 square feet), were tested for air nicotine concentrations using passive samplers before and after the ban. Main outcome measures: Salivary cotinine concentrations (ng/ml), duration of self reported exposures to secondhand smoke, air nicotine (mg/cubic metre). Results: Cotinine concentrations reduced by 69%, from 1.6 ng/ml to 0.5 ng/ml median (SD 1.29; p < 0.005). Overall 74% of subjects experienced decreases (range 16-99%), with 60% showing a halving of exposure levels at follow up. Self reported exposure to SHS at work showed a significant reduction from a median 30 hours a week to zero (p < 0.001). There was an 83% reduction in air nicotine concentrations from median 35.5 mg/m(3) to 5.95 mg/m3 (p < 0.001). At baseline, three bars (16%) were below the 6.8 mg/m(3) air nicotine significant risk level for lung cancer alone; at follow up this increased to 10 (53%). Conclusions: Passive smoking and associated risks were significantly reduced but not totally eliminated. Exposure to SHS is still possible for those working where smoking is still allowed and those working where smoke may migrate from outdoor areas. Further research is required to assess the true extent and magnitude of these exposures. Copyright 2005, BMJ Publishing Group Munch Z; Van Lill SWP; Booysen CN; Zietsman HL; Enarson DA; Beyers N. Tuberculosis transmission patterns in a high-incidence area: A spatial analysis. International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease 7(3): 271-277, 2003. (40 refs.) SETTING: In the Cape Town suburbs of Ravensmead and Uitsig, tuberculosis has reached epidemic levels, with notifications of 1340/100000 in 1996. These suburbs are characterised by overcrowding, high unemployment and poverty. It is traditionally believed that tuberculosis transmission takes place mainly in households after close contact with an infectious person. Studies have recently linked tuberculosis transmission to locations outside the household, and have associated these places with a particular high-risk lifestyle. Anthropological studies in some suburbs of Cape Town, in which a very high number of local drinking places (shebeens) were identified (17 per km(2)), have suggested that social drinking is part of such a lifestyle. OBJECTIVE: To investigate various risk factors and places of transmission of tuberculosis using a geographical information system (GIS). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The 1128 bacteriologically-proven cases of tuberculosis studied over the period 1993-1998 were investigated using spatial epidemiological techniques of exploratory disease mapping. Point pattern analysis and spatial statistics indicated clustering of cases in the areas of high incidence. Significant associations of tuberculosis notifications were found with unemployment, overcrowding and number of shebeens per enumerator sub-district. High tuberculosis notifications with unemployment and its associated poverty emerged as the strongest association. Copyright 2003, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Munne MI. Alcohol and the economic crisis in Argentina: Recent findings. Addiction 100(12): 1790-1799, 2005. (14 refs.) Aims: In 2002 Argentina participated in the GENACIS project (Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study) as one of the countries funded by the World Health Organization. Four questions about the current economic crisis in Argentina were added to the original GENACIS questionnaire in order to find out the opinions of the general population in relation to alcohol and the economic crisis. Methods" Gender differences in the answers to these questions were examined. Logistic regression was used to identify demographic, drinking pattern and drinking problems variables related significantly to responses to the economic crisis questions. Findings: During the economic crisis people stopped or reduced going to bars and instead drank at home or at friends' homes. A large number of respondents also reported that people had changed to cheaper or lower-quality alcoholic drinks. Women were more likely to agree with statements that the economic crisis had increased 'escape' drinking and required reductions in money spent on alcohol; men were more likely to agree that the crisis had led to less drinking in bars and to the purchase of cheaper or lower-quality alcoholic beverages. Respondents who reported having significant others with drinking-related problems were more likely to endorse all four statements about effects of the economic crisis on drinking behaviour. A qualitative approach was used to discuss themes in the general comments that were recorded by the interviewers while collecting data. A strongly moralistic attitude towards alcohol was present in these comments, especially among women. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the economic crisis in Argentina led to major changes in patterns of drinking that differed according to gender roles and other demographic variables. The long-term effects of these changes remain to be determined as economic circumstances improve. Copyright 2005, Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs Murray A. Decreasing number of young licence holders and reduced number of accidents. A description of trends in Sweden. Accident Analysis and Prevention 35(6): 841-850, 2003. (17 refs.) The role of alcohol is an important factor in motor vehicle accidents in many countries, particularly concerning fatal accidents. Efforts to reduce alcohol related crashes in recent years has been the adoption of the "Scandinavian model." In the Scandinavian countries it is an offence to drive with a blood alcohol level beyond a certain limit. In Sweden there are two blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) limits. A lower limit for drunken driving and a higher one for aggravated drunken driving. The lower limit changed from 50 to 20 mg% on the 1 July 1990 and the higher from 150 to 100 mg% on the 1 of February 1994. Thus, the lower limit was implemented already when the age cohort born in 1972 became 18 years old and was effective for both age cohorts, but the higher limit was not implemented until the earlier age cohort became 22 years old. It means that only the later age cohort had this stricter limit for aggravated drunk driving. Because of the strict alcohol policy, the number of alcohol related accidents are less in Sweden than in many other countries. However, in fatal accidents and in accidents leading to serious injury alcohol is still an important factor in Sweden. The proportion of accidents that are alcohol related (the driver is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol) in the two age cohorts are presented by severity of the injury and which indicate a greater percentage of alcohol related accidents among fatalities and accidents leading to serious injury than among accidents leading to minor injury and a greater percentage for men than for women. Alcohol related fatalities for women born in 1977 was the only exception. The small number of fatalities for women makes these percentages uncertain. Comparing the men born in 1972 and 1977, the percentage of alcohol related accidents decreased from 16.5 to 12.0% among fatalities, but on the other hand it increased from 12.9 to 15.0% among accidents leading to serious injury. The percentage of alcohol related accidents among those leading to minor injury stayed almost the same. The percentage of alcohol related accidents of those leading to serious or minor injury was very much the same for women in both age cohorts. Thus, the proportion of alcohol related accidents did not change in a systematic way either for men or women. This means, that there is no indication, that the reduction in accident rates can be explained by a decrease in drunk driving. A reduction of car driving and an accompanying reduction of drunk driving seems a more probable explanation. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science Norstrom T; Skog OJ. Saturday opening of alcohol retail shops in Sweden: An impact analysis. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 64(3): 393-401, 2003. (12 refs.) Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of Saturday opening of alcohol retail shops in Sweden. Method: An experimental design was applied. Prior to February 2000, all alcohol monopoly outlets were closed on Saturdays. After this date, stores in an experimental area (six counties) were open on Saturdays. In the control area (seven counties) the shops remained closed. To prevent biases resulting from border trade, the experimental and control areas were separated by a border area (seven counties). The outcome measures included alcohol sales and indicators of assaults and drunken driving. The pre-intervention period covered January 1995-January 2000, and the post-intervention period February 2000-June 2001 (17 months). The data were analyzed on a monthly basis through ARIMA-modeling according to the Box-Jenkins technique. Results: The analysis uncovered a statistically significant increase in alcohol sales of 3.3%. There were no significant changes in any of the assault indicators. There was a statistically significant increase in drunken driving (8.3%) on Saturdays-Sundays; however, further analyses suggested this increase was due mainly to a change in the surveillance strategy of the police. Conclusions: The Saturday opening of alcohol retail shops seems to have increased consumption but not alcohol-related harm. The absence of a significant effect on harm indicators could signify either that no such effect is present or that the design has insufficient power to uncover effects of the expected magnitude. Copyright 2003, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc. Used with permission Nusbaumer MR, Reiling DM. Where problems and policy intersect: Servers, problem encounters and targeted policy. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 10(1): 21-29, 2003. (25 refs.) In an effort to broaden and design server intervention policies more efficiently, this research examines the work location where the greatest intersection between the point of policy intervention (licenced servers) and the problem (intoxicated customers) occurs. Given the historic policy focus on servers, this research examines perceptions of all licenced servers, rather than those employed in selected settings. A six-page questionnaire was mailed to a random probability sample of all licenced servers. The sample was drawn from an official list of all individually licenced servers in the State of Indiana, USA. Bivariate and regression analyses were conducted on the 938 responses received. The analyses indicated that licenced servers' perception of their frequency of encounters with intoxicated customers is highly variable, and dependent upon numerous work location variables. The most important variable was type of establishment, particularly nightclubs and hotel or motel bars. The results suggest the need for targeted policy-making efforts, such as differential licensing and training on the basis of establishment type, which would result in more effective use of scarce resources. Copyright 2003, Carfax Publishing Co. Picone GA; Sloan F; Trogdon JG. The effect of the tobacco settlement and smoking bans on alcohol consumption. Health Economics 13(10): 1063-1080, 2004. (39 refs.) In the last few years, the price of cigarettes has increased considerably in the USA. In addition, a number of states have also imposed smoking bans. These increases in the cost and barriers to smoking have created a natural experiment to study relationships between smoking and drinking behaviors. In this study, we employ data from the first six waves of the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) to analyze the effects of smoking bans and cigarette prices on alcohol consumption. We also test if past cigarette and alcohol consumption affect current alcohol consumption as predicted by co-addiction models. We estimate dynamic panel models using GMM estimators. Our approach allows us to obtain consistent estimates irrespective of the number of time periods. The three main findings of this study are: (1) there is positive reinforcement effect of past cigarette consumption on current alcohol consumption, (2) smoking bans reduce alcohol consumption and (3) there is a positive effect of cigarette prices on alcohol consumption. Copyright 2004, John Wiley & Sons Ltd Plant EJ; Plant M. A "leap in the dark?" - Lessons for the United Kingdom from past extensions of bar opening hours. (editorial). International Journal of Drug Policy 16(6): 363-368, 2005. (41 refs.) The Licensing Act of 2003 for England and Wales paves the way for 24-hour opening of licensed premises. Senior members of the United Kingdom Government have claimed that the pressure of rigid closing times contributes to the rising problem of binge-drinking and associated harm in the UK. Removing set opening times it is hoped will reduce these problems. These plans have been widely criticised, moreover, international evidence suggests this may not be the case. Studies from Europe, Iceland, Australia and North America have indicated that extending trading hours may not only fail to reduce alcohol-related problems but might increase them. Evidence exists of licensing liberalisation being followed by rises in alcohol consumption, violent crime, traffic accidents, illicit drug use as well as extra public health and tourism costs. Copyright 2005, Elsevier Science Powers EL; Wilson JK. Access denied: The relationship between alcohol prohibition and driving under the influence. Sociological Inquiry 74(3): 318-337, 2004. (30 refs.) Alcohol prohibition continues to be a policy pursued by more than 10 percent of the counties in the United States. However, many questions exist about the effectiveness of prohibition policies for controlling social maladies such as accidents and fatal injuries related to driving under the influence (DUI). In this research, a situational crime prevention framework is used to evaluate the hypothetical relationship between countywide alcohol prohibition and incidents of DUI. We focus specifically on county-level comparisons of DUI arrests in Arkansas where slightly more than half of the counties are "dry" (sale of alcohol to the general public is prohibited). Utilizing police reports of DUI arrests we examine whether the dry county distinction is indeed associated with fewer DUI arrests than found in wet counties. Findings indicate that the dry county distinction does not result in significantly lower rates of DUI arrest when law enforcement variables are considered. These findings are analyzed and implications for future research are discussed. Copyright 2004, Blackwell Publishing Ltd Quigley BM; Leonard KE. Alcohol use and violence among young adults. Alcohol Research & Health 28(4): 191-194, 2004. (22 refs.) Young adults experience more violence than older age groups. Among young adult males, the most severe violence tends to occur in bars and clubs; young adult females are more likely to experience violence in the home. In both locations, the circumstances that provoke intoxicated aggression appear to arise from personality differences among people and from characteristics of the situations. People who are generally angry, impulsive, and less agreeable seem more likely to engage in intoxicated aggression. Bars with permissive atmospheres increase the probability of intoxicated aggression, and the more alcohol consumed, the greater the likelihood of injury. In domestic violence situations, alcohol use by the husband is predictive of severe violence only in marriages already high in conflict. All of these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that intoxication mainly serves to make conflict situations worse. People often become intoxicated before getting into conflict. Evidence from experimental, survey, longitudinal, and event-based research suggests that alcohol intoxication contributes to violence. A better understanding is needed of the pharmacological effects of alcohol on the decisionmaking involved in aggressive interactions. Models such as alcohol myopia, which proposes that alcohol reduces attention to cues that inhibit aggression, and the anxiolysis disinhibition model, which proposes that alcohol dampens the anxiety associated with inhibitory cues, provide useful frameworks for a better understanding of intoxicated aggression. However, research has not yet identified which model provides the best explanation. Although much has been discovered about the relationship between alcohol use and violence, much research remains to be done. More understanding of alcohol's effects on people with different propensities toward aggressive behavior is needed. Individual differences in hostility, anger, impulsiveness, agreeableness, and alcohol expectancies have been identified as important, but it still is not clear how and why people with these characteristics seem to be more likely to engage in intoxicated aggression. A fuller understanding of these processes will help inform more effective approaches to preventing and treating alcohol-involved violent behavior. Public Domain Quigley BM; Leonard KE; Collins RL. Characteristics of violent bars and bar patrons. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 64(6): 765-772, 2003. (30 refs.) Objective: The present analysis is an attempt to examine the characteristics of bars in which violence occurs while accounting for the personalities of the clientele that frequent the bar. It is proposed that an explanation of why violence occurs at certain bars requires examining the characteristics of the bars, the personalities of the clientele, and how these two types of variables act together in order to give rise to aggressive behavior. Method: We conducted interviews with frequent bar patrons (n = 327), assessing participants on a number of individual differences related to aggression and drinking behavior as well as on characteristics of the usual bar that they attend. Bars were categorized into violent bars (n = 256) or nonviolent bars (n = 71) based on participant responses. Results: Participants' age, alcohol dependence and anger expression differentiated those who frequented violent bars from those who frequented nonviolent bars. The relationship of these individual differences to bar type was mediated by a number of characteristics of the bar itself, including noise, temperature, the presence of bouncers, the gender of the workers, the presence of billiards and illegal activities in the bar. Conclusions: The results indicate that individuals having certain personality characteristics are attracted to bar environments that promote antinormative behaviors such as violence. However, it seems to be the characteristics of the bars that are the strongest predictors of violence. Copyright 2003, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc. Used with permission Reid Howie Associates, Ltd. Liquor Licensing and Public Disorder: Review of Literature on the Impact of Licensing and Other Controls/Audit of Local Initiatives. Edinburgh Scotland: Scottish Executive Social Research, 2003. (68 refs.) This study presents a review of the literature on the impact of licensing and other controls, including an audit of local initiatives, that is pertinent to liquor licensing and public disorder. The Nicholson Committee is currently carrying out a review of liquor licensing in Scotland with the findings of this report to be used to control the availability of alcohol and reduce the underlying causes of alcohol misuse. Chapter 1 outlines the background and the overall context of the work with details of the methodology provided. Chapter 2 presents the findings of the literature review, and Chapter 3 gives the results of the audit of initiatives in Scotland. The most effective means of controlling the availability of alcohol seems to be through licensing (including the imposition of conditions upon licenses, addressing hours of operation or sale). Chapter 4 brings together the implications of all of these findings. Analyses suggest that there have been a range of studies of the effectiveness of measures to regulate alcohol sales and consumption. However, there is a need for some caution in applying the results directly to Scotland. The literature review does, nonetheless, provide an indication of measures which can be seen to have an impact upon crime and disorder, and the report suggests that this, taken alongside the findings from work undertaken in Scotland, can provide useful evidence to inform the work of the Nicholson Committee. Findings suggest that longer hours of alcohol sales may be linked to alcohol-related crime and disorder. Public Domain Reid RJ; Hughey J; Peterson NA. Generalizing the alcohol outlet-assaultive violence link: Evidence from a U.S. Midwestern city. Substance Use & Misuse 38(14): 1971-1982, 2003. (20 refs.) This study assessed the geographic association between rates of assaultive violence and alcohol-outlet density in Kansas City, Missouri. Data were obtained for sociodemographic factors, alcohol-outlet density, and rates of assaultive violence across 89 inner-city census tracts in Kansas City, Missouri. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that sociodemographic variables predicted 61% (R-sup-2=0.61) of the variance in assaultive violence, but that an additional 9% (R-sup-2=0.09) of the variability in assaultive violence was explained by the density of alcohol outlets. Alcohol-outlet density contributed significantly to the explained variance of the regression model and was associated with higher rates of assaultive violence in this midwestern city. Copyright 2003, Marcel Dekker, Inc. Ritson B. Alcohol licesing laws: Proposals for changes in Scottish law. Alcohol and Alcoholism 39(1): 2-7, 2004. (9 refs.) Scotland, England and Wales, and Ireland have each recently reviewed how licensing laws might influence the increasing levels of alcohol-related problems in each of these countries. Each legislature has arrived at somewhat different recommendations. Scotland may move towards liberalization, albeit within firm guidelines. It is unknown whether emphasis on local review, server training and some restrictions on bar venues offering discount pricing, will be sufficient to alter current trends in alcohol-related problems. Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press Saltz RF. What is "evidence", and can we provide it? IN: Stockwell T; Gruenewald PJ; Toumbourou JW; Loxley W, eds. Preventing Harmful Substance Use: The Evidence Base for Policy and Practice. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2005. pp. 313-323. (22 refs.) The recent accumulation of evaluation and research on the efficacy of prevention policies and programs has brought us to the point where it is now time to take stock of how far we have come and to critically evaluate what the next steps should be. There is a danger that one might prematurely and wrongly rule out potentially powerful prevention strategies because of misunderstanding as to how research findings should be evaluated, and the role of science in prevention policy research. Evaluations of "responsible beverage service" are used to show that simply tallying those that have positive effects overlooks critical distinctions not only in the quality of implementation, but also blurs fundamental differences in the hypothesized mechanisms being tested. If prevention science is to develop, it must identify these sometimes implicit mechanisms, articulate the hypothesized links connecting intervention with desired outcome, and then evaluate the utility of these differing strategies in a variety of settings. In doing so, prevention policy research will develop a more coherent body of findings that will not only make better sense of what is now an eccentric, particularistic collection of research studies, but will better serve practitioners and policy-makers by providing guidance on robust and general principles of policy implementation as well as basic strategies. Copyright 2005, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Scottish Executive Social Research. Liquor Licensing and Public Disorder: Review of literature on the impact of licensing and other controls/audit of local initiatives. Edinburgh Scotland: Scottish Executive Social Research, 2003. (68 refs.) This study presents a review of the literature on the impact of licensing and other controls, including an audit of local initiatives, that is pertinent to liquor licensing and public disorder. The Nicholson Committee is currently carrying out a review of liquor licensing in Scotland with the findings of this report to be used to control the availability of alcohol and reduce the underlying causes of alcohol misuse. Chapter 1 outlines the background and the overall context of the work with details of the methodology provided. Chapter 2 presents the findings of the literature review, and Chapter 3 gives the results of the audit of initiatives in Scotland. The most effective means of controlling the availability of alcohol seems to be through licensing (including the imposition of conditions upon licenses, addressing hours of operation or sale). Chapter 4 brings together the implications of all of these findings. Analyses suggest that there have been a range of studies of the effectiveness of measures to regulate alcohol sales and consumption. However, there is a need for some caution in applying the results directly to Scotland. The literature review does, nonetheless, provide an indication of measures which can be seen to have an impact upon crime and disorder, and the report suggests that this, taken alongside the findings from work undertaken in Scotland, can provide useful evidence to inform the work of the Nicholson Committee. Findings suggest that longer hours of alcohol sales may be linked to alcohol-related crime and disorder. Public Domain Siegel M; Albers AB; Cheng DM; Biener L; Rigotti NA. Effect of local restaurant smoking regulations on progression to established smoking among youths. Tobacco Control 14(5): 300-306, 2005. (37 refs.) Background: While smoke-free restaurant laws are intended to protect the public from secondhand smoke exposure, they may also discourage smoking among adolescents. There is no evidence from longitudinal studies to test this hypothesis. Objective: To examine the effect of local restaurant smoking regulations on progression to established smoking among adolescents. Design, setting, and subjects: A cohort of 2623 Massachusetts youths, ages 12-17 years at baseline, was interviewed via random digit dial telephone survey in 2001-2002 and followed up two years later. A generalised estimating equations (GEE) logistic regression analysis was used and controlled for potential individual, household, and town level confounding factors. Main outcome measure: Progression to established smoking during the two year follow up period (defined as having smoked 100 or more cigarettes in one's life). Results: Compared to youths living in towns with weak regulations, those living in towns with strong regulations (complete restaurant smoking bans) had less than half the odds of progression to established smoking (odds ratio (OR) 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24 to 0.66). The association was stronger for youths in towns with strong regulations in effect for two or more years (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.37), although it was still present for those in towns with strong regulations in effect for less than two years (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.90). No relationship was found between living in a town with a medium restaurant smoking regulation (restriction of smoking to enclosed, separately ventilated areas) and rates of progression to established smoking. Conclusions: Local restaurant smoking bans may be an effective intervention to prevent youth smoking. Copyright 2005, B M J Publishing Group Siegel M; Skeer M. Exposure to secondhand smoke and excess lung cancer mortality risk among workers in the "5 B's": Bars, bowling alleys, billiard halls, betting establishments, and bingo parlours. Tobacco Control 12(3): 333-338, 2003. (42 refs.) Objective: To review existing data on exposure to secondhand smoke in bars, bowling alleys, billiard halls, betting establishments, and bingo parlours (the "5 B's") as assessed by ambient nicotine air concentration measurements and to estimate the excess lung cancer mortality risk associated with this exposure. Data sources: Using the Medline, Toxline, and Toxnet databases, the internet, and bibliographies of relevant articles, we identified studies that reported measurements of ambient nicotine concentrations in the 5 B's. Study selection: Studies were included if they reported a mean concentration of ambient nicotine measured in at least one of the 5 B's. Data extraction: We calculated a weighted average of nicotine concentrations in each of the 5 B's. We then estimated the working lifetime excess lung cancer mortality risk associated with this exposure, as well as with exposure at the upper and lower limits of the range of mean exposures reported in all of the studies in each establishment category. Data synthesis: Nicotine concentrations in the 5 B's were 2.4 to 18.5 times higher than in offices or residences, and 1.5 to 11.7 times higher than in restaurants. At these exposure levels, estimated working lifetime excess lung cancer mortality risk from secondhand smoke exposure for workers in the 5 B's is between 1.0-4.1/1000, which greatly exceeds the typical de manifestis risk level of 0.3/1000.Conclusions: Workers in the 5 B's have high levels of occupational exposure to secondhand smoke and must be included in workplace smoking regulations. Copyright 2003, BMJ Publishing Group Skeer M; Siegel M. The descriptive epidemiology of local restaurant smoking regulations in Massachusetts: An analysis of the protection of restaurant customers and workers. Tobacco Control 12(2): 221-226, 2003. (43 refs.) Objectives: To describe the range of restaurant smoking regulations in the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, and to analyse the level of protection from secondhand smoke exposure guaranteed by these regulations. Design: We obtained the local restaurant smoking regulations for each town, analysing them in terms of the protection of restaurant workers, bar workers, and adult and youth restaurant customers. Main outcome measure: The percentage of restaurant patrons and workers and bar workers who are protected from secondhand smoke exposure by the current smoking regulations in Massachusetts. Results: As of June 2002, 225 towns had local restaurant smoking regulations. Of these, 69 ( 30.7%) do not allow smoking in restaurants, 10 ( 4.4%) restrict smoking to adult only restaurants, 64 ( 28.4%) restrict smoking to enclosed, separately ventilated areas, and 82 ( 36.4%) restrict smoking to areas that need not be enclosed and separately ventilated. Of the 174 towns that, at a minimum, restrict smoking to bar areas or separately ventilated areas, 35 ( 20.1%) allow variances. Overall, 60 towns, covering only 17.7% of the population, completely ban smoking in restaurants. As a result, 81.3% of adult restaurant customers, 81.2% of youth customers, 82.3% of restaurant workers, and 87.0% of bar workers are not guaranteed protection from secondhand smoke in restaurants. Conclusions: Despite the widespread adoption of local restaurant smoking regulations in Massachusetts, the majority of restaurant customers and workers remain unprotected from secondhand smoke exposure. In light of this, public health practitioners must stop compromising the protection of customers and workers from secondhand smoke exposure in restaurants. Copyright 2003, BMJ Publishing Group Stockwell T; Gruenewald PJ; Toumbourou JW; Loxley W. Recommendations for new directions in the prevention of risky substance use and related harms. IN: Stockwell T; Gruenewald PJ; Toumbourou JW; Loxley W, eds. Preventing Harmful Substance Use: The Evidence Base for Policy and Practice. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2005. pp. 443-464. (27 refs.) This chapter presents recommendations for future investments in policy, practice and research. Ratings of the strength of the evidence base for a range of preventive interventions are provided. Investment is especially recommended in four broad areas. 1. Universal interventions to prevent tobacco use and risky alcohol use are recommended as these drugs generate the most health, economic and social drug problems globally. The bulk of these problems are found within mainstream society among persons with average levels of social disadvantage and developmental risk. Regulation of physical and economic availability has the strongest evidence of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Parental and community role models strongly influence patterns of use among young people, hence prevention strategies must address adult substance use. 2. Greater accountability for law enforcement to reduce population-level harms. There is a great need for quality research and monitoring of the effectiveness of law enforcement strategies and their over-arching policy frameworks, both for legal and illegal drugs. There is some evidence that making a substance illegal reinforces community values against use of drugs and greatly increases their cost. There may be benefits in reducing overall harms through a number of law enforcement strategies including better enforcement of liquor licensing laws, through moving to civil rather than criminal penalties for cannabis use and through greater diversion of offenders to treatment. Legal sanctions should not, however, unduly exacerbate problems with excessive criminal sanctions or disrupt treatment and harm reduction services. 3. Broad developmental interventions and targeted interventions with vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. These strategies can enhance the overall development of children and young people, while also delaying the onset of drug use and reducing drug-related harm. Broad-spectrum and targeted interventions should be delivered to support families at key developmental stages: infancy, preparation for primary school and also during the early school years. Targeted interventions are also required to build resilience in children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as some indigenous communities. There is evidence that these strategies may have particular benefits for the prevention of illicit drug use but more research is required. 4. Brief intervention, treatment and harm reduction approaches for adolescents and adults with emerging or established risky drug use. Significant investment in brief screening and counselling interventions and in proven treatment methods, whether abstinence-oriented or harm-reducing, can reduce drug-related harm at the population level. Family members, particularly children, need to be involved in treatment programmes to help break inter-generational patterns of substance use and related harm. Greater investment is needed in the delivery and evaluation of harm reduction programmes for the full range of legal and illegal drugs. Recommendations are made for future research investments to improve the targeting and effectiveness of a broad suite of complementary prevention measures. Strong political leadership can be required to introduce some effective drug policies, both to take on commercial vested interest groups and, sometimes, to lead public opinion. Copyright 2005, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Tang H; Cowling DW; Lloyd JC; Rogers T; Koumjian KL; Stevens CM et al. Changes of attitudes and patronage behaviors in response to a smoke-free bar law. American Journal of Public Health 93(4): 614-617, 2003. (30 refs.) Objectives. We examined patron responses to a California smoke-free bar law. Methods. Three telephone surveys measured attitudes and behavior changes after implementation of the law. Results. Approval of the law rose from 59.8% to 73.2% (odds ratio [OR]= 1.95; 95% confidence interval [Cl]=1.58, 2.40). Self-reported noncompliance decreased from 24.6% to 14.0% (OR=0.50; 95% Cl=0.30, 0.85). Likelihood of visiting a bar or of not changing bar patronage after the law was implemented increased from 86% to 91% (OR = 1.76; 95% Cl = 1.29, 2.40). Conclusions. California bar patrons increasingly support and comply with the smoke-free bar law. Copyright 2003, American Public Health Association Tang H; Cowling DW; Stevens CM; Lloyd JC. Changes of knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and preference of bar owner and staff in response to a smoke-free bar law. Tobacco Control 13(1): 87-89, 2004. (21 refs.) Objective: To examine attitudinal changes of bar owners and staff regarding a smoke-free bar law. Design: Bar owners and staff were random selected and telephone interviewed in June 1998, shortly after a smoke-free bar law was enacted, and October 2002. Similar instruments were used in both surveys to collect data on attitudes related to secondhand smoke (SHS) and behaviours related to the smoke-free bar law.Participants: 651 and 650 respondents worked for either stand alone bars or combination bars.Measures: Preference of working in a smoke-free environment, concerns of the effect of SHS, and how to comply with the law. Results: The percentage of bar owners or staff working in stand alone bars who prefer to work in a smoke-free environment increased from 17.3% in 1998 to 50.9% in 2002 (p< 0.001). Significantly more respondents (45.5%) working in stand alone bars were concerned about the effects of SHS on their health, comparing to 21.6% in 1998 (p< 0.001). When patrons smoked in the bar, 82.1% of stand alone bar owners or staff in the 2002 survey would ask them to stop or to smoke outside, increased from only 43.0% in the 1998 survey (p< 0.001). Conclusion: A positive and significant attitudinal change related to the smoke-free bar law occurred among California bars. Copyright 2004, British Medical Journal Publishing Group Tilki M. The Licensing Act 2003. (editorial). Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy 10(4): 289-291, 2003. (5 refs.) Toomey TL. American beverage licensees attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving. (editorial). Addiction 100(10): 1389-1391, 2005. (25 refs.) Recently the American Beverage Licensees (ABL), an organization representing the beer, wine and spirits retailers in the United States, created a campaign called 'MADD at GM'. On their 'MADD at GM' website, ABL makes several anti-MADD statements as well as criticizing General Motors (GM) for supporting MADD. [MADD's original mission was 'to mobilize victims and their allies to establish the public conviction that impaired driving is unacceptable and criminal in order to promote corresponding public policy, programs, and personal accountability'. In 1999, recognizing the high percentage of alcohol-related traffic crashes experienced by youth, MADD's mission statement was expanded to include prevention of underage drinking.] In 1982, 60% of traffic crash fatalities in the United States were alcohol-related but as of 2003, the percentage had decreased to 40%-a 33% decrease. Among the misguided and unsubstantiated allegations at the ABL website are that1: MADD is a neo-prohibitionist organization; 2: MADD is targeting social drinkers; 3: MADD is using roadblocks as the centerpiece of a scare campaign targeting social drinkers; 4: GM should be held accountable for supporting MADD; and finally, 5: Alcohol retailers and manufacturers are committed to reducing drunk-driving and irresponsible drinking. The author wonders if tABL is aware that bars and restaurants are the most frequently cited as place of last drink among impaired drivers. Copyright 2005, Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs Toomey TL; Wagenaar AC; Erickson DJ; Fletcher LA; Patrek W; Lenk KM. Illegal alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons at licensed establishments. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 28(5): 769-774, 2004. (27 refs.) Background: Early studies assessing propensity of alcohol sales to underage youth found that, before intervention, likelihood of licensed alcohol establishments selling alcohol to underage youth was 50% or higher across many communities. Community-wide interventions successfully lowered underage alcohol sales rates in several communities. Across studies assessing propensity for alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons, sales rate estimates ranged from 58% to 85% for on-premise establishments (e.g., bars). No previous studies have assessed likelihood of alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons in off-premise establishments (e.g., liquor stores). One goal of this study was to assess propensity for illegal alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons at on- and off-premise establishments. Another goal was to assess whether server and/or establishment characteristics were related to the likelihood of illegal sales. Results may inform future interventions to reduce illegal alcohol sales at licensed alcohol establishments.Methods: Trained actors attempted to purchase alcohol while acting out signs of obvious intoxication at a census of on- and off-premise alcohol establishments (n = 372) in 11 communities. The outcome variable was whether an establishment sold alcohol to a buyer. Independent variables included age and gender of server/clerk, type of establishment, area, exterior maintenance, type of license, and time of purchase attempt. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted.Results: Seventy-nine percent of the establishments sold alcohol to a buyer (83% and 76% at off- and on-premise establishments, respectively). Servers/clerks who appeared younger than age 31 and off-premise establishments were significantly more likely than older appearing servers and on-premise establishments to sell alcohol to buyers. Conclusions: The likelihood of alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons in licensed alcohol establishments is very high. Interventions to reduce illegal alcohol sales to intoxicated patrons are needed. Copyright 2004, Research Society on Alcoholism Treno AJ; Grube JW; Martin SE. Alcohol availability as a predictor of youth drinking and driving: A hierarchical analysis of survey and archival data. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 27(5): 835-840, 2003. (23 refs.) Background: Much attention has recently been directed toward developing preventive interventions to reduce drinking and driving through efforts to limit the numbers and locations of alcohol outlets at the community level. Although evaluations of these efforts have suggested linkages between alcohol outlets and problem outcomes, they have not addressed the linkage between outlets and drinking and driving among youth. The analysis reported here investigates the relationship between alcohol outlet densities and underage drinking and driving as self-reported on two telephone surveys conducted in California. Methods: These analyses were based on data obtained from two telephone surveys conducted by the Prevention Research Center and archival data collected by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the US Census Bureau. The sample for the first survey consisted of 15- to 20-year-old adolescents and young adults contacted by telephone, using a random digit dialing of exchanges in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. A second set of survey data was similarly collected by a random sample of households throughout California, and the Bay Area subset was also used for this analysis. Results: At the individual level, older respondents were more likely to report drinking and driving and riding with drinking drivers, whereas females and Asians were less so. At the aggregate or city-level, alcohol outlet density, as measured by the number of on- and off-premises establishments licensed to sell alcohol, was associated with both drinking and driving and riding with drinking drivers. These effects were moderated by a number of individual level effects, with younger respondents and females more likely to be affected by outlet densities. Conclusions: The findings here provide support for the implementation of policies targeting alcohol outlet density reductions. Areas with large numbers of such outlets provide ample opportunities to youth for alcohol purchases. Copyright 2003, Research Society on Alcoholism. Used with permission Tzelepis F; Walsh RA; Paul CL. Community attitudes towards environmental tobacco smoke in licensed premises: Follow-up study after the Sharp case. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 27(5): 539-542, 2003. (24 refs.) Objective: To examine community attitudes towards environmental tobacco smoke in licensed premises after the Sharp case decision. Method: 723 randomly selected New South Wales residents aged 18 years and over completed a telephone survey in November 2001. Results: The vast majority supported some form of smoking restriction in licensed clubs (92.1%) and hotels (90.0%). Compared with a 2000 survey, respondents in the 2001 survey were significantly more likely to support a total smoking ban in licensed clubs and hotels. When support was assessed using a ban-only question, 66.8% supported banning smoking in pubs/clubs. Approximately half reported being less likely to visit non-eating areas of licensed clubs (51.2%) and hotels (49.8%) if smoking were permitted and these proportions were significantly higher than in the 2000 survey. A majority (83.1%) thought bar workers' health should be a major consideration when deciding how to handle smoking in pubs/clubs. More than half (56.8%) believed pubs/clubs would experience significant financial problems if smoking bans were introduced. Conclusions and implications: In New South Wales, majority support exists for banning smoking in pubs and clubs. Legislation banning smoking in all indoor drinking and gaming areas should be introduced immediately. Copyright 2003, Public Health Association of Australia Inc. Vingilisa E; McLeodb AI; Seeleya J; Mannc R; Voasd R; Comptone C. The impact of Ontario's extended drinking hours on cross-border cities of Windsor and Detroit. Accident Analysis and Prevention 38(1): 63-70, 2006. (32 refs.) Purpose: This study evaluated the cross-border safety impact of extended drinking hours from 1:00 to 2:00 a.m., in licensed establishments in Ontario, Canada. Methods: This study examined patterns in total and alcohol-related casualties in: (1) Windsor, Ontario, Canada compared to Detroit, Michigan, US with a 2:00 a.m. closing time, and (2) Ontario compared to Michigan for overall trends. The criterion outcome indicators were: (1) monthly motor vehicle casualties (major injuries and fatalities) for the city-regions of Windsor and Detroit and (2) Ontario and Michigan monthly motor vehicle fatalities occurring between 11:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. for 4 years pre- and 3 years post-policy change. In order to examine cross-border drinking consequences, data were disaggregated to assess trends of motor vehicle injury collisions involving vehicles with US licence plates and with US drivers aged 16-20 in the Windsor region; similarly trends were assessed for motor vehicle injury collisions involving vehicles with Ontario licence plates in the Detroit region. Results: The Windsor region total motor vehicle casualty data showed a non-significant pre-post increase, while the Detroit region showed a statistically significant decrease for total motor vehicle casualties. In the Windsor region, a significant increase was found for alcohol-related motor vehicle casualties after the drinking hours were extended. However, the Detroit region showed a statistically significant decrease in alcohol-related motor vehicle casualties concomitant with Ontario's drinking hour extension. No similar trends were found for the province of Ontario and the state of Michigan as a whole. Moreover, a significant decrease was found for injury collisions involving vehicles with Ontario licence plates in the Detroit region but no similar pattern was found for injury collisions involving vehicles with US licence plates and with 16-20-year-old US drivers in the Windsor region. Discussion: These data seem to support a cross-border impact of the Ontario extended drinking policy. A significant increase in alcohol-related motor vehicle casualties was found in the Windsor region and concomitantly, significant decreases in total and alcohol-related motor vehicle casualties were found in the Detroit region after the extended drinking hours amendment. The Ontario government's belief that the extended drinking hour policy would Òreduce the number of patrons who cross the border when Ontario's bars and restaurants closeÓ may have been realized. Copyright 2006, Elsevier Science Voas RB; Furr-Holden D; Lauer E; Bright K; Johnson MB; Miller B. Portal surveys of time-outdrinking locations: A tool for studying binge drinking and AOD use. Evaluation Review 30(1): 44-65, 2006. (25 refs.) Portal surveys, defined as assessments occurring proximal to the entry point to a high-risk locate and immediately on exit, can be used in different settings to measure characteristics and behavior of attendees at an event of interest. This methodology has been developed to asses alcohol and other drug (AOD) use at specific events and has included measuring intentions to use collected at entry and reported use on exit, as well as chemical tests for AOD consumption at both entrance and exit. Recent applications of the portal survey procedure to electronic music dance events that occur in established venues (e.g. bars or nightclubs) are discussed. Copyright 2006, Sage Publications Wagenaar AC; Toomey TL; Erickson DJ. Preventing youth access to alcohol: Outcomes from a multi-community time-series trial. Addiction 100(3): 335-345, 2005. (23 refs.) Aims/intervention: The Complying with the Minimum Drinking Age project (CMDA) is a community trial designed to test effects of two interventions designed to reduce alcohol sales to minors: (1) training for management of retail alcohol establishments and (2) enforcement checks of alcohol establishments. Design: CMDA is a multi-community time-series quasi-experimental trial with a nested cohort design. Setting/participants CMDA was implemented in 20 cities in four geographic areas in the US Midwest. Measurements: The core outcome, propensity for alcohol sales to minors, was directly tested with research staff who attempted to purchase alcohol without showing age identification using a standardized protocol in 602 on-premise and 340 off-premise alcohol establishments. Data were collected every other week in all communities over 4 years. Mixed-model regression and Box-Jenkins time-series analyses were used to assess short- and long-term establishment-specific and general community-level effects of the two interventions. Findings: Effects of the training intervention were mixed. Specific deterrent effects were observed for enforcement checks, with an immediate 17% reduction in likelihood of sales to minors. These effects decayed entirely within 3 months in off-premise establishments and to an 8.2% reduction in on-premise establishments. Conclusions: Enforcement checks prevent alcohol sales to minors. At the intensity levels tested, enforcement primarily affected specific establishments checked, with limited diffusion to the whole community. Finally, most of the enforcement effect decayed within 3 months, suggesting that a regular schedule of enforcement is necessary to maintain deterrence. Copyright 2005, Society for the Study of Addiction to Alcohol and Other Drugs Wallin E; Andreasson S. Effects of a community action program on problems related to alcohol consumption at licensed premises. IN: Stockwell T; Gruenewald PJ; Toumbourou JW; Loxley W, eds. Preventing Harmful Substance Use: The Evidence Base for Policy and Practice. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2005. pp. 207-223. (45 refs.) In this chapter we present outcome results from a multi-component community action program on problems related to alcohol consumption at licensed premises. Alcohol consumption at licensed premises is associated with various problems, e.g., assaults and injuries. In Sweden, the number of licensed premises has increased markedly over the past 15 years. The ten-year community alcohol prevention program started in 1996 in the northern part of central Stockholm, Sweden (project area) with a control area in the southern part of central Stockholm. Main intervention components included community mobilization, training of servers in responsible beverage service, and stricter enforcement of existing alcohol laws. Actors portraying drunk patrons and young people (18 years old but looking younger according to an expert panel) have attempted to order beer from licensed premises. Police statistics on reported violent crimes for the period January 1994 to September 2000 were collected and analyzed with time-series analyses (ARIMAmodels). The results show a decrease in alcohol-related problems at licensed premises. The number of licensed premises that refused alcohol service to intoxicated patrons changed from 5% in 1996 to 47% in 1999, and 70% in 2001. Refusal of alcohol service to minors changed from 55% in 1996, to 59% in 1998 and 68% in 2001. Changes in alcohol service occurred both in the project and control area. During the project period assaults decreased significantly by 29% in the project area but increased slightly in the control area. Policy initiatives were implemented by the licensing authority and by the police equally in all of Stockholm. The multi-component program seems to have successfully reduced problems related to alcohol consumption at licensed premises. The most likely explanation for this is a combination of RBS training, building of community networks and policy routines initiated by the project. The results from the effect studies support earlier findings that multi-component interventions targeting licensed premises at the community level have the potential to reduce alcohol-related problems. Copyright 2005, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Wallin E; Gripenberg J; Andreasson S. Overserving at licensed premises in Stockholm: Effects of a community action program. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 66(6): 806-814, 2005. (36 refs.) Objective: The aim of this research was to study the sustainable effects of a community action program on alcohol service to intoxicated patrons at licensed premises. Method: Since 1996, the hospitality industry and authorities in Stockholm, Sweden, have been cooperating to reduce problems related to alcohol consumption at licensed premises. The intervention has included community mobilization, training in responsible beverage service (RBS) and enforcement. A pretest in 1996 and follow-ups in the 1999 and 2001 designs were used to study licensed premises in Stockholm. Male actors portraying intoxicated patrons visited the licensed premises and attempted to order beer. Observers were present at each visit. At the pretest, 92 licensed premises were visited, 47 in north central Stockholm and 45 in south central Stockholm. In 1999, 103 establishments were visited, 61 in north central Stockholm and 42 in south central Stockholm. At the latest follow-up in 2001, 100 licensed premises were visited, 56 in north central Stockholm and 44 in south central Stockholm. Results: The results from the latest follow-up in 2001 showed a statistically significant improvement over those of earlier measures, with a refusal rate of 70% compared with 47% in 1999 and 5% in 1996. There were improvements in both study areas (i.e., north and south central Stockholm). Conclusions: There has been a significant improvement in the rate of refusal of alcohol service at licensed premises in Stockholm during the project period. The reason for this is probably a combination of the intervention efforts: community mobilization, RBS training and a more efficient monitoring of alcohol service by authorities. Copyright 2005, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc. Used with permission Wallin E; Norstroem T; Andreasson S. Alcohol prevention targeting licensed premises: A study of effects on violence. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 64(2): 270-277, 2003. (34 refs.) Objective: This research studied the effects of a community alcohol prevention program on violent crimes. Starting in 1996, a 10-year multicomponent program based on community mobilization, training in responsible beverage service for servers and stricter enforcement of existing alcohol laws has been conducted in Stockholm, Sweden. The project has been led by an action group consisting of members from the hospitality industry and the authorities. Method: We used a time-series quasi-experimental design that included a control area. Data on police-reported violence during the period of January 1994 to September 2000 were analyzed through ARIMA modeling. Results: During the intervention period, violent crimes decreased significantly by 29% in the intervention area, controlled for the development in the control area. Conclusions: The intervention seems to have been successful in reducing violent crimes. This effect is most likely due to a combination of various policy changes initiated by the project. The findings support the notion that community action projects working on a local basis can be effective in decreasing alcohol-related problems at licensed premises. Copyright 2003, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc. Used with permission Walsh RA; Tzelepis F. Support for smoking restrictions in bars and gaming areas: Review of Australian studies. (review). Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 27(3): 310-322, 2003. (75 refs.) Objective: To document levels of public support in Australia for smoking restrictions in licensed premises, including trends over time, and to examine the potential effects of a ban on patronage. Method: Systematic review of published and unpublished studies of community and staff attitudes towards smoking in bars, gaming areas and related venues were identified using Medline, Current Contents, PsycINFO and AUSTHealth prior to September 2002. State and Territory health departments, cancer organisations and branches of the National Heart Foundation were approached. Cross-sectional surveys reporting data on attitudes towards smoking restrictions and/or perceptions of effects on patronage were sought. Two reviewers assessed studies for inclusion. One extracted data using pre-coded categories with checking by the second. Results: Thirty-four community and seven staff surveys were synthesised qualitatively, with greater emphasis given to surveys using random selection. All surveys conducted since 1993, which included the separate smoking area response option, have demonstrated majority support for some form of smoking restriction on licensed premises. From 2000, surveys with the ban option alone report majority support for prohibiting smoking completely in bars (52-68%) and gaming areas (64-76%). Support increased significantly after the Sharp damages award. Customer preference data indicate banning smoking is most likely to have a neutral or positive effect on patronage. Conclusions and implications: Support for a ban on smoking in licensed premises has increased by almost 20% in the past decade. State and Territory governments should introduce legislation banning smoking in all indoor drinking and gaming areas immediately. Copyright 2003, Public Health Association of Australia Inc. Weber MD; Bagwell DAS; Fielding JE; Glantz SA. Long term compliance with California's Smoke-Free Workplace law among bars and restaurants in Los Angeles County. Tobacco Control 12(3): 269-273, 2003. (28 refs.) Objective: To assess long term compliance with the California Smoke-Free Workplace Law in Los Angeles County freestanding bars and bar/restaurants. Design: Population based annual site inspection survey of a random sample of Los Angeles County freestanding bars and bar/restaurants was conducted from 1998 to 2002.Main outcome measures: The primary outcomes of interest were patron and employee smoking. The secondary outcomes of interest were the presence of ashtrays and designated outdoor smoking areas. Results: Significant increases in patron non-smoking compliance were found for freestanding bars (45.7% to 75.8%, p<0.0001) and bar/restaurants (92.2% to 98.5%, p<0.0001) between 1998 and 2002. Increases in employee non-smoking compliance were found for freestanding bars (86.2% to 94.7%, p<0.0003) and bar/restaurants (96.5% to 99.2%, p<0.005).Conclusions: This study provides clear evidence that the California Smoke-Free Workplace Law has been effective at reducing patron and employee smoking in Los Angeles County bars and restaurants. Recommendations include educational campaigns targeted to freestanding bar owners and staff to counter perceptions of lost revenue, more rigorous enforcement, and more severe penalties for repeat violators such as alcohol license revocation. Policymakers can enact smoke-free restaurant and bar policies to protect employees and patrons from secondhand smoke, confident that these laws can be successfully implemented. Copyright 2003, BMJ Publishing Group Weitzman ER; Folkman A; Folkman KL; Wechsler H. The relationship of alcohol outlet density to heavy and frequent drinking and drinking-related problems among college students at eight universities. Health & Place 9: 1-6, 2003. (14 refs.) To determine whether alcohol outlet density was correlated with heavy and frequent drinking and drinking-related problems, we compared ecological measures of outlet density with survey measures of drinking using a geographic information system and the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Survey (n=3,421, site n=8). We identified 966 outlets within 8 2-mile study areas. Densities/site ranged from 32 to 185. Density was correlated with heavy drinking (r=0.82, p=0.01), frequent drinking (r-0.73, p=0.04) and drinking-related problems (r=0.79, p=0.02). Women, underage students and students who picked up binge drinking in college were affected. Implication for prevention and research are discussed. Copyright 2003, Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd Wheeler DR; Woodall WG; Dresser J; May PA. Reducing alcohol consumption by pregnant women at bars and restaurants. (meeting abstract). Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 28(5 Supplement): 126A-126A, 2004. (0 refs.) Wiggers J; Jauncey M; Considine R; Daly J; Kingsland M; Purss K et al. Strategies and outcomes in translating alcohol harm reduction research into practice: the Alcohol Linking Program. Drug and Alcohol Review 23(3): 355-364, 2004. (69 refs.) Harm associated with consumption of alcohol on licensed premises is an issue of community concern. Interventions to reinforce responsible sale of alcohol such as server training and accords between licensees, police and health advocates are well known. However, while generally supported by police and licensees as 'a good thing', evaluations demonstrating that they reduce alcohol-related harm are rare. Lack of enforcement is often an issue. This paper reports on system intervention to enhance police enforcement of liquor laws by providing data-based feedback to police and licensees about alcohol-related crime following drinking on specific licensed premises. The system has been shown to contribute to a reduction of alcohol-related crime and has been adopted into routine practice by NSW police state-wide. It is a good example of how research can be conducted in a way that bridges the gap between policy research and policy practice. Copyright 2004, Australian Medical and Professional Society on Alcohol and Other Drugs Yacoubian GS; Boyle C; Harding CA; Loftus EA. It's a rave new world: Estimating the prevalence and perceived harm of ecstasy and other drug use among club rave attendees. Journal of Drug Education 33(2): 187-196, 2003. (15 refs.) The use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy") appears to be increasing worldwide, with "rave" attendees being one high-risk population. To date, however, only one study has collected ecstasy use information from rave attendees in the United States. To address this limitation, we collected self-report drug use information from 70 adult "club rave" attendees within the Baltimore-Washington corridor in April and May 2002. Data collection was scheduled between 12 A.M. and 5 A.M. Participation rates were high, with 85 percent of the club rave attendees completing the interview. Eighty-six percent of the respondents reported lifetime ecstasy use, 51 percent reported 30-day use, and 30 percent reported using ecstasy within the two days preceding the interview. While past-year ecstasy users were comparable to non-users with respect to a host of demographic and drug use variables, non-ecstasy users were significantly more likely than past-year users to perceive risks associated with the regular use of alcohol and ecstasy. Not surprisingly, non-ecstasy users were significantly more likely than past-year users to perceive harmful long-term physical and psychological effects associated with ecstasy ingestion. These findings suggest that rave attendees may be an important population for ecstasy-related prevention efforts. Copyright 2003, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc Yocoubian GS Jr; Miller S; Pianim S; Kunz M; Orrick E; Link T; Palacios WR; Peters RJ. Toward an ecstasy and othe club drug (EOCD) prevention intervention for rave attendees. Journal of Drug Education 34(1): 41-59, 2004. (81 refs.) A growing body of recent research has identified that "rave" attendees are at high risk for the use of "club drugs," such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or "ecstasy"). Rave attendees, however, comprise only one of several club-going populations. In the current study, we explore the prevalence of ecstasy and other club drug (EOCD) use among a sample of club attendees in Washington, DC. Data were collected from adult, primarily homosexual, club attendees during the summer of 2003. Data collection was scheduled between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. Participation rates were high. Of the 211 club attendees approached, 88% (n = 186) completed the interview. Drug use prevalence rates were low. With the exception of alcohol and marijuana, 2-day self-reports were less than 1% for each drug. These findings, amalgamated with results from other EOCD-related studies involving several distinct populations, offer considerable insight into the state of ecstasy in American society. Based on a meta-analysis of this literature, we offer a community-level prevention intervention for the population at highest risk for EOCD use-rave attendees. Copyright 2004, Baywood Publishing Zhu L; Gorman DM; Horel S. Alcohol outlet density and violence: A geospatial analysis. Alcohol and Alcoholism 39(4): 369-375, 2004. (29 refs.) Aims: To examine the relationship between alcohol outlet density and violent crime controlling for neighbourhood sociostructural characteristics and the effects of spatially autocorrelated error. Design: The sample for this ecologic study comprised 188 census tracts from the City of Austin, Texas and 263 tracts from the City of San Antonio, Texas. Data pertaining to neighbourhood social structure, alcohol density and violent crime were collected from archival sources, and analysed using bivariate, multivariate and geospatial analyses. Results: Using ordinary least squares analysis, the neighbourhood sociostructural covariates explained close to 59% of the variability in violent crime rates in Austin and close to 39% in San Antonio. Adding alcohol outlet density in the target and adjacent census tracts improved the explanatory power of both models. Alcohol outlet density in the target census tract remained a significant predictor of violent crime rates in both cities when the effects of autocorrelated error were controlled for. In Austin, the effects of alcohol outlet density in the adjacent census tracts also remained significant. The final model explains 71% of the variance in violent crime in Austin and 56% in San Antonio. Conclusions: The findings show a clear association between alcohol outlet density and violence, and suggest that the issues of alcohol availability and access are fundamental to the prevention of alcohol-related problems within communities. Copyright 2004, Oxford University Press