567890 234567890 234567890 1234567890 234567890 1234567890 34567890 1234567890 A 1234567890 34567890 1234567890 LCOHOL 1234567890 4567890 1234567890 U 1234567890NITED P 1234567890 OLICIES IN THE 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 S 1234567890 TATES 1234567890 1234567890 : 1234567890 Highlights 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 from the 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 50 States 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345 1234567890 1234567890 2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 1234567890 1234567890 78901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012345 1234567890 2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 1234567890 6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 123456789012345678901234 1234567890 1234567890 2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789 1234567890 6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234 1234567890 1234567890 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234567890123456789 1234567890 678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234 1234567890 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 1234567890123456789 1234567890 1234567890 6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234 1234567890 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 1234567890 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 1234567890123456789 1234567890 6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234 1234567890 123456789012345678901234567890123456789123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 1234567890 NOVEMBER 1234567890 1 2000 1234567890 1234567890 12 1234567890 12 Alcohol Epidemiology Program, University of Minnesota, School of Public Health 1234567890 123 1234567890 1234 Alexander C. Wagenaar, Ph.D., Professor and Director 1234 12345 Prepared by 012 7890123 567890123 Contributors 345678901234 12345678901234 Colette LaFond, J.D., Legal Research Associate 90123456789012345 Amy Shomshak, B.A., Community Program Specialist Rhonda Jones-Webb, Dr.P.H., Associate Professor Eileen M. Harwood, Ph.D., Research Associate Traci L. Toomey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Alexander C. Wagenaar, Ph.D., Professor Kathleen Lenk, M.P.H., Coordinator Rebecca J. Mitchell, B.A., Community Health Coordinator Lindsey Anderson, M.P.H., Research Assistant Alcohol Epidemiology Program School of Public Health University of Minnesota 1300 South Second Street, Suite 300 Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015 USA [email protected] www.epi.umn.edu/alcohol Suggested citation Alcohol Epidemiology Program. Alcohol policies in the United States: Highlights from the 50 states. 12345678901234567 Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2000. 7890123456789012 Permission is granted to photocopy and distribute this document, 345678901234567 in whole or in part, for any non-profit purpose 90123456789012 provided the source is clearly identified. 5678901234567 123456789012 78901234567 3456789012 90123456 5678901 123456 78901 3456 901 Design & Production DBA Design, Inc. Cambridge, MA 02138 567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901 2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 2345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 23456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123ALCOHOL POLICIES IN THE 34567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234 34567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234UNITED STATES: Highlights 45678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345from the 50 States 789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345 234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345 234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234 23456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789 678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789 678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789 6789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012341968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789 678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234Prepared by 123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789Alcohol Epidemiology Program, University of Minnesota, School of Public Health NOVEMBER 2000 Alexander C. Wagenaar, Ph.D., Professor and Director Supported by Distribution Systems Purchase & Sales EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Taxation Drinking & Driving Alcohol use contributes to hundreds of thousands of injuries, illnesses, and deaths each year in the United States, and billions of dollars of social costs (NIAAA, 1997; 2000; Rice, 1999). Policies that affect how alcohol is produced, distributed, taxed, and used can be effective tools to diminish the persistent and costly social and health problems associated with alcohol use. Alcohol Policies in the United States: Highlights from 50 States provides information on patterns and trends of selected alcohol policies around the country across several decades (1968 – 2000), and on the status of the policies in each state as of January 1, 2000. The policies are grouped into four major areas of alcohol law: DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS — how the sale and distribution of alcohol are controlled; PURCHASE AND SALES — beer keg registration and alcohol server training laws; TAXATION — changes in excise taxes placed on beer, spirits or hard liquor, and wines; and DRINKING AND DRIVING — legal limits on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels (general, youth, boating and snowmobile) and penalties for violating BAC laws. Alcohol Epidemiology Program, University of Minnesota iii Highlights D ISTRIBUTION S YSTEMS • Few changes occurred in alcohol distribution systems across the country between 1968 and 2000. As of 2000, most states have a licensure system where private establishments are licensed to sell alcohol; however, 18 states directly control at least some portion of the wholesale and/or retail markets for alcohol. P URCHASE AND S ALES • Over the past 22 years, a quarter of the states enacted laws requiring the registration of beer kegs sold to private citizens. • Over the past 14 years, an increasing number of states enacted policies that require or recommend training for servers or sellers of alcohol in bars, stores, and restau- rants. Currently, 21 states have server training policies that are either of the mandatory or voluntary (also known as permissive) forms. T AXATION • The value of state-level beer taxes declined dramatically over the past three decades. After adjusting for inflation, the average state beer tax in 2000 is around one-third of the beer tax in 1968. D RINKING AND D RIVING • General blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits for drivers of non-commercial vehicles gradually declined over the past three decades, meaning that a driver can consume less alcohol now than in the 1960s before being considered legally impaired. At the beginning of 1968, nearly two-thirds of the states mandated BAC limits of 0.15 g/dL. By the year 2000, all states mandated BAC limits less than or equal to 0.10 g/dL, with 19 states setting BAC limits at 0.08 g/dL. • Every state in the U.S. now has zero or very low BAC limits (< 0.02 g/dL) for drivers under the legal drinking age. • Every state in the U.S. now has BAC laws for individuals who operate motorboats for recreational purposes. • By 2000, only a few states had mandated BAC limits for snowmobile drivers. • As of January 1, 2000, less than half the states had mandatory minimum fines or jail time for the first offense violation of general BAC limits. iv Alcohol Epidemiology Program, University