The Effects of Changes in Local Alcohol Policies and Enforcement on Alcohol Use and Impaired Driving

Project Summary The goal of this project is to assess how changes in local alcohol policy and enforcement are associated with excessive alcohol use and alcohol-impaired driving. We will use a longitudinal design with local-level policies and outcome data tracked over a 15-year period, and enforcement of alcohol policies measured at two time points. We propose to conduct a 5-year longitudinal study to address the following specific aims: (1) assess the longitudinal associations of individual local alcohol policies with excessive alcohol use and alcohol-impaired driving; (2) assess the longitudinal association of combinations of local alcohol policies with excessive alcohol use and alcohol-impaired driving; and (3) assess the longitudinal association of alcohol enforcement at the local level with excessive alcohol use and alcohol-impaired driving and assess how enforcement influences associations between alcohol policies and outcomes (effect modification/interaction). The proposal addresses recommendations from several national-level institutions, provides a tool for future research studies, and will inform policymakers' decisions about effective strategies to prevent and reduce health and social harms that result from excessive drinking and impaired driving.