Policies to Support Enforcement of Existing Laws

Policy interventions can increase responsibility of those who provide substances to others and increase monitoring to support enforcement of existing laws. Examples of these types of policies include:

• Dram Shop Liability Laws – Dram shop liability laws hold commercial hosts (dram shops) responsible for harms resulting from serving alcoholic beverages to intoxicated or underage customers. Examples of harm include instances of death and injury or other damages due to alcohol-related accidents. Most states have implemented dram shop laws in some form, but laws vary across states. The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends dram shop liability laws for preventing and reducing harms from excessive alcohol consumption.
• Social Host Laws – These laws hold private property owners liable for injuries or deaths that may arise due to providing minors or obviously intoxicated individuals with substances. Social host liability laws vary by state and can take the form of criminal or civil actions. This class of laws is associated with the reduction of drunk driving, heavy episodic drinking, and underage drinking.
• Enhanced Enforcement of Laws Prohibiting Substance Sales to Minors – Increasing efforts to monitor sales to minors is an evidence-based approach to limiting underage substance purchases and use. For example, local law enforcement or alcohol beverage control agencies work with retailers to conduct regular checks to ensure their compliance with the prohibition of underage alcohol sales. Regular compliance checks, also known as "sting operations," help to ensure sales are not ongoing to minors at the targeted establishment. The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends enhanced enforcement of alcohol sales laws for limiting underage alcohol purchases.
• Responsible Beverage Server Training (RBST) – Includes education efforts to prevent servers from illegally providing alcohol to underage youth or intoxicated customers. Some strategies include offering customers food along with drinks and delaying service to intoxicated customers. Additional efforts aim to discourage intoxicated customers from driving.

Resources to Learn More

Underage Drinking: Prohibitions Against Hosting Underage Drinking Parties
Database
Lists state laws that enforce liability against social hosts for underage drinking.
Organization(s): Alcohol Policy Information System, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism