A Group Randomized Trial of the Stop Service to Obviously-Impaired Patrons (S-STOP) Program to Prevent Overservice in Bars and Restaurants in College Communities

Abstract

Background

College student drinking in on-premises establishments has been associated with heavy alcohol consumption and a range of problems including assault, fighting, risky sex, and drinking and driving. Although more strictly enforcing overservice laws might reduce heavy drinking in on-premises establishments, law enforcement agencies have few resource-efficient tools for doing so, resulting in these laws seldom being enforced.

Objectives

In this paper, we report the results of an evaluation of the Stop Service to Obviously-impaired Patrons (S-STOP) program that was implemented in 303 bars and restaurants in 18 university communities in California using a randomized cross-over design (early vs. delayed implementation). The S-STOP program: (a) deployed pseudo-intoxicated patrons who attempted to purchase a drink when showing obvious signs of intoxication; (b) provided feedback to owners and managers on staff performance; and (c) offered free online refresher training for staff.

Results

Overall, alcohol servers in bars and restaurants in these college communities were willing to serve a pseudo-intoxicated mystery shopper 90% of the time. The study found no evidence that S-STOP reduced the prevalence of alcohol sales to apparently impaired patrons during the two intervention stages of the study.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the need for developing effective interventions to prevent overservice and should prompt college and university leaders to take the lead in addressing the problem of alcohol overservice at on-premises establishments by working with community leaders, law enforcement, and retailers.

Keywords:

• Alcohol
• intoxication
• overservice
• college communities
• mystery shop
• prevention

Declaration of interest

Drs. Krevor, Grube, and DeJong have been supported within the past three years by funding from the alcohol industry to evaluate industry-sponsored programs to reduce alcohol sales to minors and other alcohol-related harms.

Additional information

Funding

This study and preparation of this manuscript were supported by grant number R44-AA024992 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additional support for Dr. Grube during the preparation of this manuscript was provided by NIAAA grant number P60-AA006282. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIAAA or the NIH.